Inclusive Community Action Planning Yields Benefits in Montana

Submission Date: June 2018

Entry Type: Case Study

State/Territory Submitted on the Behalf of: Montana

States/Territories Involved: Montana

Funding Source: CDC

CDC Funding:

Yes

CDC Funding (Specified):

Other CDC Funding

Other Federal Funding:

CDC(non CSTLTS)

Domain Addressed:

Environmental Approaches

Public Health Issue:

• According to U.S. Census data, an estimated one in seven Montanans lives with a disability.
• People with disabilities have not traditionally been engaged as decision-makers in community action planning or community health improvement planning. As a result, communities may not plan the community features that help enable people with disabilities to lead healthy lives.
• Increasing the representation of people with disabilities as leaders in community action planning can help achieve health equity and better health outcomes for the whole community.

Program Action:

• The National Association of Chronic Disease Directors (NACDD) Reaching People with Disabilities through Healthy Communities program funded the state of Montana and two Montana communities to engage disability organizations and public health leaders in community action planning on policy, systems, and environmental changes related to health promotion.
• The purpose of the program is to promote inclusion of people with disabilities in public planning such as community health improvement planning.
• State experts from two CDC-funded state programs – Disability and Health and Building Active Communities Initiative – facilitated community and organization assessments on inclusive healthy community design that guided community action planning.

Impact/Accomplishments:

• Two years of program activity led to increased healthy nutrition and physical activity options for people with disabilities made possible through the following accomplishments:
  • Placement of disability community leaders in decision-making roles on local healthy community coalitions and on action teams
  • Development of an inclusive 20-year community transportation plan,  organizational quality improvement plans on inclusion and accessibility, and a model inclusive wayfinding system and communication plan
  • Creation of an all-abilities playground and an inclusive aquatic center
  • Expansion of adaptive ski infrastructure and opportunities in southcentral Montana
  • Increase in job opportunities for persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities
  • Development of a statewide network of inclusive, interdisciplinary teams trained to host active community planning workshops and walk audits
  • Formation of systems to engage persons with disabilities in public health planning processes

Program Areas:

Health Equity and Cultural Competency, Healthy Communities (general)

State Contact Information:

MT
Meg Ann Traci, PhD
University of Montana Rural Institute for Inclusive Communities
406-243-4956
meg.traci@mso.umt.edu

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