New Fitness Initiative to benefit all: from Access to Inclusion

The Center for Disability Rights is pleased to announce that they have been awarded a fitness grant from the New York State Developmental Disabilities Planning Council to establish a community-wide coalition of fitness providers and develop fitness plans for individuals with disabilities who often do not know how to access fitness programs to meet their needs.

This ground-breaking Fitness grant is intended to promote promising inclusive practices and new innovative approaches needed to make sure everyone in the community has a fitness program that improves their health and well-being. Many fitness providers are already offering inclusive programs and these efforts will be identified and shared with others.

The grant will include and provide trainings for fitness professionals and people with disabilities; piloting individualized fitness plans for adults with disabilities who want to improve their fitness and need specialized support and coaching; and provide the skills needed to better understand individuals with different disabilities.

The overall goals of the program are to improve access and opportunities for people with and without disabilities in our community to engage in physical fitness programs designed to improve their health and wellness; and increase the knowledge that facilities and professionals will need to make these opportunities possible.

During the next few months, we will be reaching out and meeting with our initial collaboration partners; and starting to recruit participants and fitness professionals to find out what knowledge and skills they need to be more successful in exercise and fitness.

Please stay tuned for additional information.