Building Community Beyond the Clinic: Expanding Inclusive Opportunities at TIRR Memorial Hermann

Over the past year, TIRR Memorial Hermann has deepened its commitment to community inclusion by expanding recreational partnerships that empower patients and community members with disabilities to connect, participate and thrive. What began with pilot outreach efforts has grown into a calendar of recurring programs that bring people together through sports, art and shared experience.

“One of our community outreach initiatives is recreation and arts inclusion,” says Catherine Murray, OTR, MOT, and rehabilitation manager at TIRR Memorial Hermann. “Our goal is to partner with local businesses that offer an activity, like pickleball, an art class or golf, and work with them to host inclusive events, so that individuals in the community who are living with a disability can go to these events and then feel comfortable continuing to go to these businesses on their own.”

TIRR Memorial Hermann rehabilitation team helps support a monthly pickleball night at Chicken N Pickle in Webster, Texas, ongoing since April 2024.

“They supply the courts and a volunteer coach who comes every month, and we supply therapist volunteers as well as some local college students,” Murray explains.

The program typically brings about 15 participants and 10 volunteers each month. With three courts available, participants can be matched to their level of experience.

Recently, TIRR Memorial Hermann partnered with the Houston Parks and Recreation Department and Memorial Park Golf Course to begin an adaptive golf program. The collaboration began with training sessions for golf professionals and volunteers, covering adaptive equipment, strategies and firsthand demonstrations from athletes who play from wheelchairs. The response was overwhelmingly positive.

“The golf pros told us it was the first time in 15 years that they had any kind of education on adaptive play,” Murray recalls.

That training culminated in a community golf day in August 2025 which welcomed more than 30 participants, 15 volunteers and 10 golf pros. The event not only gave participants a chance to try the sport, but also laid the groundwork for a new monthly program at Memorial Park’s First Tee area. Future plans include providing modified clubs to make the game even more accessible.

Beyond athletics, TIRR Memorial Hermann has expanded into arts programming and cultural partnerships. The rehabilitation team collaborated with a local studio on adaptive watercolor classes and partnered with organizations such as Stages and Theatre Under the Stars, which host sensory-friendly performances.

In 2025, TIRR Memorial Hermann co-launched the inaugural ReelCommunity Expo as part of the annual ReelAbilities Houston Film & Arts Festival, an event designed to connect individuals and families with inclusive businesses across Greater Houston. More than just a resource fair, the Expo offered attendees the chance to meet business owners directly, discover adaptive opportunities and learn about modifications that make recreation possible. The event will return in January 2026.

While clinical therapy remains central to recovery, community-based activities provide a different kind of benefit. “When you’re at a pickleball game or a golf event, conversations and connections happen naturally,” Murray notes. “It doesn’t feel like a support group, but the same kinds of peer-to-peer support emerge in a more relaxed environment.”

These programs also strengthen family and caregiver networks. Murray describes one participant and his mother who have attended pickleball nights since the program’s inception. Even after completing formal rehabilitation, they continue to attend: The patient’s mother is now serving as a resource for other caregivers navigating similar challenges.

“It’s just as impactful for family members to see what’s possible,” Murray adds. “They realize that their loved one can participate fully in community life.”

The success of these initiatives is driving momentum for even more opportunities. TIRR Memorial Hermann plans to continue expanding its partnerships, enabling inclusive spaces where individuals with disabilities can explore, engage and belong.

TIRR Memorial Hermann’s outreach is proving that rehabilitation extends far beyond hospital walls. By helping people reengage in meaningful activities, these programs support independence, foster belonging and strengthen the community as a whole.

“Every time we collaborate with a community partner, we’re planting the seeds for something that can grow and sustain itself,” Murray says. “The goal is not only to host events but to help create a culture of inclusion throughout Houston.”