Innovation Spotlight | Beyond 9 to 5 – Expanding Options for Evenings and Weekends
by Lori Morphy, SARC Trainer/Resource Developer – Service Delivery, April 28, 2025
Many people enjoy spending their free time in the evenings or weekends doing a variety of activities for their enjoyment or in pursuit of their personal goals.
“Beyond 9 to 5” refers to activities, work, or lifestyles that extend beyond the traditional hours of 9:00am to 5:00pm. Many people pursue passions, projects, hobbies, or other activities outside of regular working hours.
Think about your own life. What do you like to do outside of work? Do you have hobbies or other activities that you participate in regularly? Maybe you go to the gym or play a sport. Perhaps you are part of a book club, take a class, or enjoy going out for coffee or drinks with friends. Historically, programs and activities for people experiencing disability were offered during traditional daytime working hours. Today however, people supported by organizations are looking for more – they want to go out and be supported in the evenings and on weekends. They want to experience the same activities, at the same time, as their peers and friends, without being limited in their options.
Check out the video “Disability ‘Outings’ Suck” from Open Future Learning to hear directly from people experiencing disability on this topic.
Of course, “beyond 9 to 5” is not just about going to the club or partying the night away. It’s about having a variety of options that suit people’s interests and goals, offered at times that can enhance inclusion more broadly, outside typical day program hours.
There are great examples from around the world of how organizations are branching out and offering more opportunities during evenings and weekends:
The Monday Night Club (Worcester, England)
The Monday Night Club offers a variety of evening and weekend programming in their community. Options include discos, parties, karaoke nights, sports and games nights, weekly football night (or soccer as you might call it), and a weekly community kitchen. People can drop in and choose the activities interest them most.
Club Soda (Croydon, England) and Bubble Club (Leeds, England)
Club Soda and Bubble Club both offer inclusive night club experiences, and workshops in DJ’ing, music, media, and creative arts. They organize inclusive and accessible live music events showcasing local talent. Club Soda even has a magazine and podcast called Leisure Link where they interview artists, performers, and musicians with disabilities, and showcase local events.
People in Action – “Changing Lives Clubs” (Leeds, England)
People in Action offers six different social clubs for people with disabilities and autism to connect during the evenings in their community. Each club has different activities, such as sports, art, music, and cooking, so people can select the activities and groups that fit them best.
BEST Disability Support (Slacks Creek, Queensland, Australia)
BEST (Believe, Evolve, Succeed: Together) offers two campuses where they provide state-of-the-art fun and learning facilities including a professional recording studio, sports facilities, media and IT lab, kitchen, education space, therapy and health spaces, and even a barber shop. They also plan regular weekend getaways. People can enroll in programs that suit their interests and goals.
Through a variety of options like these, people can choose the activities and groups they want to be a part of – designing their own lives beyond the regular 9 to 5!
What activities or support does your organization offer outside the regular 9 to 5?
Share your stories and opportunities with us! Contact SARC’s Communications Coordinator at ahoffart@sarcan.sk.ca
