265096 How to grow an older adult pedestrian safety movement in your community

Sunday, October 28, 2012

Rhianna Babka, MSW, MPH , California WALKS, Oakland, CA
Wendy Alfsen, JD , California WALKS, Oakland, CA
A community that is walkable for older adults is walkable for everyone. Unfortunately, many communities are not walkable. Older adults are a growing population of advocates and have the highest rate of pedestrian fatality nationwide. California WALKS is working with communities throughout California to grow a statewide older adult pedestrian safety movement by directly engaging older adults as effective community advocates to improve the built environment and increase the walkability of all communities.

This session will guide participants through the California WALKS five-step approach to community engagement for pedestrian safety. We will highlight, with case study excerpts, community-level grassroots elements of our approach that exemplify the power of older adult engagement. Examples include peer-to-peer mentoring; partnerships with older adult organizations, groups and associations; media activities; educational workshops; political support, existing conditions data collection using Video and PhotoVoice; civic engagement and policy advocacy.

Learning Areas:
Advocacy for health and health education
Other professions or practice related to public health
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Program planning
Public health or related education
Public health or related public policy

Learning Objectives:
1. Demonstrate elements of conducting a community older adult pedestrian safety engagement workshop. 2. Identify lessons learned, understanding of local challenges and action priorities in community-based older adult walkability work. 3. Identify strategies for a successfully growing an older adult pedestrian safety/walkability program in other communities.

Keywords: Community Building, Environment

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am the primary lead on this program and have worked extensively with older adults.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 2031.0: Built Environment and Aging