Advancing Disability Inclusion to Expand Healthy Living Opportunities

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Submission Date: June 2018

State/Territory Submitted on the Behalf of: New York

States/Territories Involved: New York

Funding Source: CDC

CDC Funding:

Yes

CDC Funding (Specified):

Other CDC Funding

Domain Addressed:

Environmental Approaches

Public Health Issue:

  • About one in five New York State adults lives with a disability. Mobility limitation is the most common type of disability experienced.
  • New Yorkers with disability experience a disproportionate burden of chronic disease in relation to New Yorkers without disability.
  • Implementing disability inclusion strategies to make the healthier choices, the easier choices can reduce the chronic disease burden among New Yorkers living with a disability.

Program Action:

  • As a grantee of NACDD’s Reaching People with Disability through Healthy Communities project, the New York State Department of Health Disability and Health Program provided technical assistance and resources to the City of Syracuse and to Cattaraugus County to identify policy, systems, and environmental barriers to inclusion in healthy eating and physical activity opportunities and to work with their healthy community coalitions to prioritize actions to reduce these barriers.

Impact/Accomplishments:

  • Over the course of the two-year project, the City of Syracuse and Cattaraugus County, collectively with their healthy living coalitions, implemented 19 sustainable changes that improve access to physical activity and healthy food options for all community residents, including those with disability. These changes include the following:
    • Installation of charging stations for power wheelchairs and scooters
    • Improved stadium and walking path accessibility
    • New or enhanced infrastructure to increase access to physical activity and/or transportation
    • More accessible community gardens
    • Formation of coalition equity sub-committees that promote recognition of inclusion efforts by community partners

Program Areas:

Health Equity and Cultural Competency, Healthy Communities (general), Social Determinants of Health

State Contact Information:

New York
Rhonda Rosenburg
New York State Disability and Health Program
518-408-5142
rhonda.rosenburg@health.ny.gov

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