The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #69401

William J. Schiller, PhD, National Center on Physical Activity and Disability (NCPAD), University of Illinois at Chicago, 1640 W. Roosevelt Road, Chicago, IL 60608-6904, 312-413-1536, wjschill@uic.edu

Despite growing evidence that persons with higher levels of physical fitness have a reduced risk of various chronic conditions (i.e., type 2 diabetes, stroke, coronary heart disease) and are more physically independent in later life, people with disabilities continue to be more sedentary and have significantly lower levels of physical fitness compared to the general population. A variety of health promotion efforts, including The National Center on Physical Activity and Disability (NCPAD), are working to encourage people with disabilities to take charge of their physical fitness and health. Unfortunately, many community fitness and recreation programs were not designed for use by people with disabilities. For the past two years, NCPAD has been conducting a national survey on the “disability friendliness” of community fitness and recreation programs. This presentation will review the latest results from this ongoing effort. Data to be presented include: percentage of facility or program activities accessible to people with disabilities; the types of programs and services offered for people with disabilities; the percentage of time such programs or services are available; staff training or credentialing relevant to support for users with disabilities; availability of accessible equipment or adaptations to use existing equipment; availability of accessible public transportation; financial support or sliding fees for people with disabilities; availability of alternative forms of communication or instruction; and descriptive information on “typical” users of the program or facility. Discussion will include comparisons with data from the first year of the survey and emerging trends.

Learning Objectives:

At the end of this session, the participant will be able to:
• Recognize common barriers to use of community recreation and fitness programs by people with disabilities.
• Identify trends in access to programs and services for people with disabilities in community recreation and fitness programs.
• Discuss implications for health promotion strategies and approaches to increasing physical activity for people with disabilities.

Keywords: Physical Activity, Access and Services

Related Web page: www.ncpad.org

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.