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Key Issues
Why is the Inclusive Fitness Coalition Important?
It is estimated that 50 million people have some type of disability. This significant portion of the population faces some of the greatest health risks associated with sedentary lifestyles. The Inclusive Fitness Coalition developed out of the need to address these health issues and create a united effort to increase access to and participation in physical activity for people with disabilities.
Some of the key issues include:
Amy Jaffe Barzach has won the 2008 Martha Stewart Dreamers into DOERS Award!
The Inclusive Fitness Coalition is pleased to announce that Amy Jaffe Barzach, Chairwoman of our Inclusive Play Workgroup, was just announced as the winner of the 2008 Martha Stewart Dreamers into Doers Award. Amy and a videotaped segment featuring Boundless Playgrounds - and the announcement of the award winner - appeared on The Martha Stewart Show on Wednesday, November 12, 2008. Amy has won $10,000 and lifetime vacations from Wyndham! The segment featuring Amy was truly inspirational as it highlighted the work Amy has done to bring awareness to the topic of inclusive and accessible playgrounds for children and their families.
National Request for Research Participants
Researchers at the
IFC Inclusive Play Workgroup – October Update
We are pleased to announce Amy Jaffe Barzach as the winner of the 2008 Martha Stewart Dreamers in DOERS award!
Call for Hosts, Inclusive Playgrounds Awareness Event!
Here at the Inclusive Fitness Coalition we believe it is time to find and celebrate inclusive playgrounds and/or playgrounds with specific inclusive elements. Current research points to the playground as an optimal space for children to learn, develop, and exercise, which highlights the need to create accessible and inclusive playgrounds for children of all abilities in every community.
Inclusive Fitness Coalition Stakeholder Strategy Session
Thank you for participating!
The 2008 Inclusive Fitness Coalition Stakeholder Strategy Session was held Wednesday, October 15, 2008 from 8:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. CT at McCormick Place in Chicago, IL.
Thank you to everyone who joined us at this meeting to help identify and strategize the next steps for the IFC in its continued efforts to increase access to and participation in physical activity for people with disabilities.
Launched in 2007, the Inclusive Fitness Coalition (IFC) has, as its mission, "to facilitate an expanded coordination of organizations and individuals to address the complexity of personal, social, cultural, political, and economic factors that affect the participation of people with disabilities in physical activity, fitness, sports and recreation."
Inclusive Play Workgroup Committee Members, Advisors & Participants Application
ACSM and NCPAD Specialty Certification
The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) is pleased to announce a collaboration with the National Center on Physical Activity and Disability (NCPAD) to offer a specialty certification. This certification is an industry-first for professionals working in the health and fitness field, specifically to assist in fully including individuals with disabilities into various exercise environments, including health club, outdoor and home-based settings.
There are 50 million people (approximately 20%) in the United States that have reported some type of disability. ACSM professionals have the potential to make a significant contribution by earning the specialty certification to safely and effectively assist in the inclusion of people with disabilities into various exercise settings. The role of this certified professional would be to assess the needs of a person or a program and follow these basic steps to ensure that all people are given the same opportunity to participate in physical activity.
Newsletter
Click here to download pdf versions of the member newsletters:
"Update to Members: Fall 2008"
Includes the following:
- REMINDER OF IFC CONFERENCE: The Inclusive Fitness Conference: Exercise for Every Body!
- Announcement: Inclusive Fitness Coalition (IFC) Stakeholder Strategy Session
- Inclusive Playgrounds Awareness Day: Call for Hosts, Inclusive Playgrounds Awareness Event, Inclusive Fitness Coalition (IFC)
- A Swing for All Children: Parents lead charge to add swings for children with disabilities to playgrounds citywide
- Fitness Center Factsheet
- A Great Day at the Oscar(s) By Dr. James Rimmer
- F.I.T.T. - Kranking: the Next Revolution in Fitness
- Help your Clients Conclude an Amazing 2008!
Support for the IFC
Kester Edwards, Former Special Olympics Athlete and Current Healthy Athletes Outreach Coordinator
"At an early age, physical activity was the greatest thing that could have happened to me. Through my participation as an athlete and a former Special Olympics competitor, my life has been given courage, determination, and inspiration. Why is it that community fitness centers always see working with people with disabilities as an add-on or more work? The Inclusive Fitness Coalition is about building bridges in communities by focusing on fitness for all."