This ground-breaking inclusive climbing manual is authored by three experienced mountaineering instructors who believe that all outdoor sports coaches, instructors, guides and volunteers work with individuals with impairments or disabilities regularly. This is because an impairment can be a permanent or temporary loss of ability (anything from a diagnosed severe mental illness or complete sensory loss, through to a ‘stiff’back or knee in the morning).
Whilst the manual holds obvious interest for a climbing coach, of greater importance is the manual’s Decision-Making Framework[i]. This framework is a new and successful cognitive process for use by a climbing coach (or coaches of any other outdoor sport) and more importantly by the individual themselves. This is because the Decision-Making Framework takes inspiration from theories around Self Determination, Attribution and Self Efficacy; brought together within the manual to inspire and reassure the individual and to both increase the likelihood of an effective and safe session and also participation in future inclusive outdoor sports sessions.
“The writing of this manual comes at a challenging and yet exciting time for the outdoor sports sector. With increasing pre and post covid desires in society to improve mental and physical health by increasing physical activity, the Decision-Making Framework has already proved itself as a successful process or ‘common vocabulary’ between a climbing coach and an individual with an impairment or disability. We believe the Decision-Making Framework is a game changer.”
Graeme Morrison, Winter Mountaineering and Climbing Instructor & Co-author.
Drawing on over 80 combined years of inclusive climbing expertise; a key foundation for the development of the manual was established at the Royal British Legion’s Battle Back Centre. Coming together as specialist coaches and technical advisors provided by ENOS member organisation Leeds Beckett University, the authors are looking forward to future collaborative opportunities with Leeds Beckett University through their not-for-profit social enterprise — the Rokka Project CIC.
Collaborations that include forthcoming inclusive climbing training courses for climbers and climbing coaches. Courses that are sector leading, person-centred and have the already successful Decision-Making Framework at their core.
The manual is published by the Rokka Project CIC. A not-for-profit social enterprise that aims to inspire and improve the provision of inclusive climbing and other disability sports in the outdoor sports sector.
Available to purchase here:
www.rokkaproject.org/inclusive_climbing_manual
[i] Gilligan, J. Kinnear, E. Morrison, G. Inclusive Climbing – a manual for inclusive adventure activities in climbing. 2020. rokkaproject.org
