Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #114334

William J. Schiller, PhD, National Center on Physical Activity and Disability (NCPAD), University of Illinois at Chicago, 1640 W. Roosevelt Road, Chicago, IL 60608-6904, 312-413-1536, wjschill@uic.edu and Barth B. Riley, PhD, Department of Disability and Human Development, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1640 W. Roosevelt Rd, Chicago, IL 60608-6904.

Persons with disabilities frequently encounter barriers to access of fitness and recreation facilities and programs. Limited accessibility is a significant public health issue that can ultimately affect the quality of life as well as health of persons with disabilities. Persons with disabilities need to be involved in the assessment and barrier removal process, yet disability can present unique challenges with respect to performing environmental barrier assessments, including susceptibility to fatigue and limited fine motor control. Information technology (IT) can facilitate the assessment process and identify potential solutions to overcome identified barriers. This paper reports on information technology approaches being evaluated to support the use of the Accessibility Instruments for Measuring Fitness and Recreation Environments (AIMFREE) in community assessments by persons with disabilities. The paper discusses different levels of technological support with their associated costs and benefits relative to the traditional paper-based approach. Data will be presented from field evaluations in Kansas, Iowa, and Illinois. Discussion will include strengths and weaknesses of the various IT support technologies as well as the potential future impact of emerging technologies.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe the limitations of traditional assessment approaches to identification and removal of barriers to exercise.
• Recognize the existing and potential advantages that information technology can provide in conducting such assessments.
• Review and evaluate data on technology-enhanced assessment procedures.
• Discuss current and emerging technologies that hold promise for facilitating barrier identification and removal in the future.

Keywords: Access, Physical Activity

Related Web page: www.rercrectech.org

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.

Recorded presentation