Adapting Public Health Strategies and Interventions to Include People with Disabilitiesin Active Transportation Policies and Programs
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
Disabilities affect over 61 million adults in the United States—cutting across the boundaries of age, race, sex, and socioeconomic status.1 People with disabilities benefit from public health programs for the same reasons anyone does—to help them be healthy, active, and part of the community. Yet, studies have shown that people with disabilities are more likely to have limited access to quality health care services, higher prevalence of chronic disease risk factors (e.g., smoking, obesity, high blood pressure, and physical inactivity) and are at increased risk for preventable health problems such as heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes.2 Access to and participation in physical activity can help mitigate some of these health risks. Active transportation strategies may be used in public health programs to address these preventable conditions by reducing risk factors and increasing participation in physical activity. While most public health and active transportation strategies have been developed for general audiences, these programs can be successfully adapted for individuals with disabilities. This presentation will address how CDC and its partners are influencing systems change to improve inclusion and accessibility for people with disabilities in public health programs that employ active transportation policies, strategies and interventions.

DESCRIPTION
CDC’s Disability and Health Branch funds three national organizations and 19 state-based programs to reduce health disparities and improve the health of people with disabilities through the adaptation and implementation of evidence-based strategies and interventions. CDC conducted a programmatic review of funded projects and identified a collection of innovative strategies and interventions that were being adapted and/or implemented for people with disabilities. Ten of these state programs are currently addressing active transportation policies and programs (e.g., inclusive walking, wheeling and bicycling programs; active wayfinding systems; and community planning activities) to improve health and social participation of people with disabilities at the state and local levels.

LESSONS LEARNED
Modifications and lessons learned from the funded initiatives will be discussed, including: (1) building critical partnerships, (2) assuring physical accessibility, (3) developing inclusive communication products, (4) implementing disability awareness training, and (5) tailoring active transportation programs for people with disabilities.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS
Adopting modifications to existing initiatives may lead to more inclusive active transportation programs and provide new opportunities for the initiation and maintenance of healthy behaviors for people with disabilities.

Presenter: JoAnn Thierry
Agency Affiliation: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Presenter Biographical Statement: [biography]