Date of Award

Summer 8-2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Human Movement Studies & Special Education

Program/Concentration

Human Movement Studies

Committee Director

Justin A. Haegele

Committee Member

Xihe Zhu

Committee Member

Yoseph Mamo

Abstract

This dissertation investigated how motivation and constraints relate to participation in outdoor and community recreation among children with disabilities and adults who are blind or visually impaired. Although outdoor recreation is associated with important physical, psychological, and social benefits, people with disabilities continue to participate at lower rates than their peers without disabilities, and prior work shows that barriers extend well beyond physical access to include structural, interpersonal, and intrapersonal constraints. Drawing on the Constraint–Negotiation Model (CNM) and social cognitive theory, this dissertation addressed gaps in multivariate research and life-course perspectives by examining whether and how motivations, perceived constraints, and participation are linked in two distinct but complementary populations.

Study 1 used a cross-sectional online survey of parents and guardians of children with disabilities who are customers of a large Mid-Atlantic municipal park system. Parents reported consistently high motivation across achievement, social, and nature domains, and these motivational orientations were broadly similar across demographic groups. However, neither demographic characteristics nor motivation subscales significantly predicted 30-day facility use, revealing a clear disconnect between strong parental endorsement of recreation benefits and actual utilization.

Study 2 surveyed adults who are blind or visually impaired across North America about their motivations, perceived intrapersonal, interpersonal, and structural constraints, participation in outdoor recreation, and health-related quality of life. Participants reported moderate motivation and moderate constraints, with constraint subscales strongly interrelated. That is, structural constraints showed modest negative associations with participation, and intrapersonal and structural constraints had small negative associations with health-related quality of life. In contrast, motivation and participation frequency had low correlation with health outcomes. Taken together, the studies suggested that motivation is not the primary limiting factor in these disability contexts. Instead, persistent structural, interpersonal, and intrapersonal barriers were more consequential for both participation and well-being. Theoretically, the findings extended CNM and social cognitive perspectives by underscoring the need to incorporate negotiation-efficacy, perceptions of environmental predictability, and the cumulative psychological impact of repeated exposure to barriers. Practically, the results pointed toward organizational and environmental changes, rather than attempts to “boost” already high motivation, as the most promising pathways to more equitable participation. Recommended priorities included improving the accessibility of facilities and programs, expanding adapted equipment and transportation options, enhancing staff disability competence and inclusive communication, partnering with families and adults with visual impairments to co-design programs, and creating socially supportive, group-based opportunities. Across the lifespan, reducing constraints and strengthening support for negotiation appeared essential for translating motivation into meaningful, sustained engagement in outdoor and community recreation for people with disabilities.

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DOI

10.25777/vev2-5h29

ISBN

9798193216407

ORCID

0009-0009-5271-3129

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