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Recreational, Social & Learning Opportunities

Accessible Chef

Accessible Chef is a collection of free visual recipes and other resources to help teach cooking skills to individuals with disabilities. Looking for Your Special Chef? You're in the right place this site has the goal of making cooking accessible to everyone.

Best Buddies

Best Buddies is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to establishing a global volunteer movement that creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment and leadership development for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Borderless Arts, TN

Borderless Arts Tennessee is a statewide organization committed to inclusive and accessible arts programs for people with disabilities to enhance educational curriculum, enrich creative expression, empower career development, and encourage community engagement.

Buddy Cruise

Non-profit annual conference at sea providing educational opportunities and resources for families, while promoting awareness, acceptance, and inclusion for individuals with Down syndrome and developmental delays. Includes activities for all ages and abilities.

Buddy Up for Life

Buddy Up For Life, Inc. (formerly Buddy Up Tennis) is more than just a set of programs– we are a movement that utilizes tennis, fitness, and fun to make strides for the Down syndrome community and its allies nationwide.

Camp Barnabas

Two-week, Christian camp in Memphis (ages 7-25) with intellectual disabilities and/or any autism spectrum disorder as part of their diagnosis. If your child thrives in smaller groups with less chaos and less noise, this program would work well for him/her. Campers in this program are ambulatory and able to tolerate outdoor activities as well.

The Camp Koinonia

Week-long residential outdoor education program for up to 150 children ages 7-21 who have a variety of disabilities, from East Tennessee. The program is organized, planned, and conducted by 150 University of Tennessee students as part of a course requirement.

The Center for Courageous Kids

The Center for Courageous Kids, also known as CCK, is a world class medical camp located in Scottsville, KY, serving children and families from across the country who are living with a variety of medical challenges.

Dancing Divas and Dudes

The Dancing Divas was started in Nashville as their first dance team for individuals with special needs. We are a nonprofit dance team that operates solely on donations. Each team member has the opportunity to grow physically, mentally, and emotionally at practices while learning a variety of dance genres.

Easter Seals Tennessee

Easter Seals has been helping individuals with disabilities and special needs, and their families, live better lives for more than 80 years. Whether helping someone improve physical mobility, return to work or simply gain greater independence for everyday living, Easter Seals offers a variety of services to help people with disabilities address life's challenges and achieve personal goals.

Flip For Function

Flip for Function students learn by participating in individualized, strength-based treatment sessions to address muscle development, coordination, self regulation, body awareness, sensory integration and so much more! Gymnastics based therapy sessions focus on the strengths and unique needs.

Friends Life

Friends Life is a certified 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of people with disabilities by creating opportunities to develop socially, grow personally and enjoy community as they experience life together. This day program is for adults age 18 and older and fosters life long learning, opportunities for work and service, and more.

GiGi's Playhouse Nashville

Provides free programs that are educational and therapeutic in nature to individuals with Down syndrome from birth through adulthood, their families and the community.

Inclusion Network of Nashville (INN)

The mission of the INN is to promote awareness, accessibility and inclusion of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families by building capacity throughout a community network of arts, education, athletic, and entertainment organizations.

Lifetime Pass to National Parks for People with Disabilities

A free, lifetime pass - available to U.S. citizens or permanent residents of the United States that have been medically determined to have a permanent disability (does not have to be a 100% disability) - that provides admittance to more than 2,000 recreation sites managed by five Federal agencies.

Maury Magic Riders

Maury Magic Riders is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) organization offering recreational and therapeutic horseback riding that helps young children through adults with disabilities such as: Cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, Stroke, Autism, a wide range of learning disorders and also for individuals with impaired mobility.

Move Inclusive Dance

We are an inclusive dance studio that empowers individuals of all ability levels to learn life skills through dance. We use the power of movement and music to transform our students’ lives while providing a nurturing, inviting community for all.

Music City AllStars

Provides a positive experience for athletes with special needs. We strive to promote mental, physical, and spiritual development through dancing.

Music City Trykes

Music City Trykes is the middle Tennessee chapter of the national service organization, AMBUCS whose primary purpose is to provide AmTryke® adaptive tricycles to children & others who are unable to ride a bike without adaptive assistance.

Musical Bridges

Provides Music Therapy services to individuals with disabilities in the Nashville and Middle Tennessee area.

Nashville Dolphins

The Nashville Dolphins provide year round swim instruction, training, competition, social activities and travel at no cost to children and adults with intellectual disabilities, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, build confidence, develop friendships, and experience the joy and pride of being part of a team.

Nashville Metro Parks and Recreation, Disability Day Program

Metro Parks and Recreation offers a wide variety of activities at select Metro Parks community centers and recreation facilities. Adult day programs, a bowling league, and "Community Day" activities for various ages are available throughout the year. During Summer months have day camps for both adults and high school age youth.

NCG Sensory Friendly Movies

A friendly environment to watch new movies with the lights up and volume not as loud. Locations in Gallatin and Kingsport Tennessee.

PEER Place

To Promote Education, Experiences, and Relationships in a community-based program for adults with intellectual and developmental differences, thus empowering them to achieve their highest potential mentally, physically, socially, emotionally and spiritually.

Project O

Project O is a performing artist collective focused on amplifying work of those with Intellectual and other Developmental Disabilities.

Saddle Up! Nashville

The region’s oldest and largest recreational therapeutic riding program, and it is the only one exclusively serving children and youth with documented disabilities. Saddle Up!’s mission is to provide children and youth with disabilities the opportunity to grow and develop through recreational activities with horses.

Scott's All Stars

Scott's All Stars is a program providing Learn to Skate classes for children with intellectual disabilities and other special needs. Their incredible team of coaches is dedicated to helping skaters learn and have fun at a comfortable pace and in a safe and sensory friendly space.

Special Needs Sports Foundation, Inc.

The mission of Special Needs Sports Foundation, Inc. (SNSFI) is to acknowledge and nurture the abilities of those individuals with intellectual and/or physical challenges through organized recreational and social activities, maintaining their honor and dignity at all times, and creating mentors and friendships throughout their participation.

Special Olympics Tennessee

The mission of Special Olympics is to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities.

Structured Athletics for Challenged Children of Putnam County

Structured Athletics for Challenged Children of Putnam County is an athletic program developed for children with physical and/or intellectual or developmental disabilities to enjoy the many benefits of participating in an athletic environment structured to their abilities.

Williamson County Performing Arts Center

The Williamson County Performing Arts Center (PAC) offers live Sensory-Friendly performances designed to create a more comfortable experience for those with sensitivity to sensory input and their families in a welcoming, non-judgemental environment.

Young Life Capernaum

The Young Life Capernaum mission is to introduce teens and young adults with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities to Jesus Christ and help them grow in their faith.