DISABILITY SPORTS AND HEALTH; GAMES AND ACTIVITY MODIFICATIONS: ERASMUS INTENSIVE PROGRAM DILARA ÖZER AYŞEGÜL AKSOY Gedik University in Istanbul, Turkey Abstract Studies from Europe, Asia, and the U.S. suggest that physi- cal education majors are typically exposed to only one intro- ductory-level adapted physical education (APE) course, and this is not enough preparation for future PE teachers who will no doubt work with children with disabilities. The Eras- mus Intensive Program (IP) “Disability Sports and Health: Games and Activity Modifcations”(DSH-GAM) was created and implemented in Turkey, in part, to address these issues. Erasmus IP short programs are 10 days to six weeks in du- ration and include students and professors from higher ed- ucation institutions of at least three diferent countries. The specifc aim of the DSH-GAM was to train undergraduate and masters students to be leaders who will serve individ- uals with disabilities to develop their independence, conf- dence, and their ftness through participation in community sports and recreation. The purpose of this paper is to review the DSH-GAM, how the program was developed and funded, how participants were recruited, and fnally the summary of the activities used in the program. Keywords: disability, sport, recreation, physical educa- tion, teacher education “A soul cannot be disabled.” —Erasmus Student Introduction The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Per- sons with Disability (UNCRPD) afrms the right of children with disabilities to be valued equally, treated with respect, provided with equal opportunities within the mainstream system, and experience full and efective participation and inclusion in society. Article 30 specifcally refers to physical activity within formal and informal educational institutions. According to Article 30, States Parties shall take appropriate measures (a) to encourage and promote the participation, to the fullest extent possible, of persons with disabilities in mainstream sporting activities at all levels; (b) to ensure that children with disabilities have equal access with other children to participation in play, recreation, and leisure and sporting activities, including those activities in the school system (Özer et al., 2013). The Turkish government signed the UNCRPD on March 30, 2007. It was confrmed on December 3, 2008, by the Turkish Senate. Its passage was reported to the United Nations on September 28, 2009. However, adapted physi- cal education (APE) as a service in Turkey is not in com- pliance with UNCRPD. The number of physical education (PE) teachers in special education schools are insufcient (483 PE teachers in 1080 of special education schools), and there are few physical education (PE) teachers for special ed- ucation classes in most regular primary schools. In addition, stafng of a full-time PE teacher is not mandatory for special education and rehabilitation centres. Clearly, most children with disabilities in Turkey are unable to access appropriate and qualifed PE classes. Although the 75% of children with disabilities in Turkey are being taught in inclusive settings, research is still limited regarding how successful inclusion is in PE classes. Ozer et al. (2013) found secondary school PE teachers’ attitudes to- ward including children with intellectual disability in their PE classroom was ambivalent. Other studies found similar results of preservice PE teachers (e.g., Sungu & Ozer, 2012). For example preservice PE teachers showed favorable atti- tude on the “benefts” and “feelings” of including students with disabilities included into the general PE classroom, but undecided on “supports” and “acceptance,” and unfavorable on “fears” of having including a child with a disability in their PE class. These fndings are similar to research conducted in the United States (Block & Obrusnikova 2007; Klavina, 2008; Jerlinder, Danermark, & Gilla, 2009; Combs, El- liott, & Whipple, 2010). A possible explanation for the lack of more positive attitudes toward inclusion is the amount of inclusion-related courses required in physical education teacher education (PETE) programs around the world. For example, only one, two-credit special education class and one, three-credit APE class are required to complete the PETE program in Turkey. The lack of instructional time al- Vol. 30, No. 2 | 2016 | PALAESTRA 27