Winter 2006
Welcome to Health and Disability News! This quarterly e-mail newsletter is published by the American Association on Health and Disability (AAHD). The mission of AAHD is to advance health and wellness initiatives for people with disabilities, as well as to identify effective intervention strategies to reduce the incidence of secondary conditions and health disparities between people with disabilities and the general population. AAHD accomplishes its mission through research, education and advocacy. Please send comments and suggestions to the editor, Nancy Campbell, at documentor@comcast.net.
News from AAHD
AAHD Membership
Have you ever considered becoming a member of AAHD? To those of our readers who are already active members of AAHD, we extend a heartfelt thank-you for your continued support of the association. To those of you who aren’t members yet, we’re asking you to join us in our mission to improve the health and wellness of people with disabilities.
AAHD/CDC 2006 Grantees & Partners Meeting in Ames, Iowa: Building Effective Collaborations
The 2006 AAHD/CDC annual grantee and partners meeting will be June 29-30 in Ames, Iowa, at the Gateway Hotel and Conference Center. The theme will be Enhancing, Strengthening and Sustaining Partnerships through Building Effective Collaborations_ and Networks._
_I Can Do It, You Can Do It_ Pilot Evaluation Launched
In conjunction with the University of New Mexico, Center for Development and Disability, School of Medicine, AAHD will begin Phase One of the pilot evaluation for the national mentoring program I_ Can Do It, You Can Do It_.
AAHD-Sponsored Webinars/Threaded Discussions Lead to Creation of National Logic Model on Physical Activity
On January 12, 2006, AAHD sponsored a webinar entitled “Measuring Outcomes of Physical Activity Initiatives for People with Disabilities.” On March 8, 2006, AAHD hosted a follow-up webinar called “Physical Activity Tools—Assessment and Evaluation—Part Two.”
A New, Improved AAHD Website
Over the next few months, you will notice a new look to our website. We are redesigning our site to improve its usability for our members and colleagues. The new site will have an improved searchable database.
State Grantee News
The MENU-AIDDs Program—University of Montana Rural Institute and Montana Disability and Health Program
The availability and consumption of nutritious food in group homes is important to the health of people with disabilities. To assess the food served in group homes, the University of Montana Rural Institute and Montana Disability and Health Program researched the food systems of group homes in Montana that serve adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities (I/DD).
In a New York State of Health
Under the direction of program manager Theresa Paeglow, New York’s Disability and Health Program (DHP) takes a broad approach to health promotion, working to improve wellness, community participation, access to health care, and nutrition and physical activity. The DHP also focuses on surveillance and epidemiology.
In the News
National Symposium on Playground Access Slated for April 18-20, 2006
Internationally renowned for its research, technical assistance and educational programs promoting the inclusion of people with disabilities in parks and recreation, the National Center on Accessibility at Indiana University will host a National Symposium on Playground Access, April 18-20, at the Indiana Memorial Union in the heart of the Bloomington campus.
Exercise and Recreational Technologies for People with Disabilities: RERC Rectech’s State of the Science Conference
This conference will provide a forum for discussing innovative technologies and methods for increasing health and function through safe and effective exercise and recreation for people with disabilities.
Special Olympics Offers New Health Care Provider Directory
Recent research commissioned by Special Olympics reinforces previous studies that found that people with intellectual disabilities have poorer health, more specialized health care needs, and greater difficulty accessing health care services and doctors compared to the general public.
Wheelchairs of the Future
Today’s wheelchairs, including sports and power chairs, are a vast improvement over what came before. But the wheelchairs of tomorrow will deliver far more mobility, independence and control.
Research Corner
New Research on Improving the Usability of Research!
To learn more about making disability research more useful to people with disabilities, the National Center for the Dissemination of Disability Research (NCDDR) and the Research Utilization Support and Help (RUSH) project at the Southwest Educational Development Laboratory conducted two studies in 2005 with different audiences.
Best Practices
A Wellness Collaboration in Progress
Dr. Robert Arnhold, professor of exercise and rehabilitative sciences, directs the Center on Disability and Health at Slippery Rock University in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania. SRU offers a 27-credit program in adapted physical activity. The center, operated by faculty and students in the program, helps community members with physical and mental disabilities adopt healthier habits and reduce the risks associated with obesity, such as heart disease and diabetes.
Braille Institute and the Braille Challenge
Today’s computer technology is opening new doors, offering electronic braille note-takers, refreshable braille displays, and braille embossers. And since 1919, Braille Institute has been helping Southern Californians who have blindness or limited vision to live independent, satisfying lives.
The ADA at Work
Ticketmaster to Make Accessible Seats Easier to Buy
Under an agreement Ticketmaster signed in December 2005, people will be able to buy accessible seats over the phone or by e-mail during the same period that customers can buy regular seats through Ticketmaster’s website.
National Council on Disability Releases Preliminary Findings for ADA Impact Study
Later this year, the NCD will issue the ADA Impact Study, which focuses on the effectiveness of the ADA in achieving equal access goals. The study evaluates progress in terms of opportunity, full participation, independent living, and economic self-sufficiency.
What’s New from the CDC
CDC Moving Ahead on Disability Research
In addition to undertaking its own research, the CDC’s Disability and Health Team is charged with setting research goals and funding cost-effective state disability and health programs and other interventions that deliver the greatest good to the largest numbers of people with disabilities.
Website to Watch
New DOT Emergency Preparedness Website
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) new web page at www.dotcr.ost.dot.gov/asp/emergencyprep.asp provides basic information on emergency preparedness, transportation accessibility, and evacuation methods for certain modes of transportation, such as transit and rail systems.
Coming in the next issue
The spring 2006 issue of Health and Disability News will provide an update on the Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Promote Health and Wellness for People with Disabilities. It will also include an article on the Wounded Warrior Disabled Sports Project and other disability news.
Please e-mail your news and information about your programs to the editor, Nancy Campbell, at documentor@comcast.net.
|