Abstract
The national center on health, physical activity, and disability coffee club: An engaging ehealth program for people with disabilities to foster connections, build friendships, and learn about health and wellness
Stephanie Ward1, Robin Lanzi, PhD, MPH1, Bob Lujano, Inclusion Specialist2, Kalani Upshaw, MPH1 and James Rimmer, PhD1
(1)University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, (2)Lakeshore Foundation, Birmingham, AL
APHA 2023 Annual Meeting and Expo
The proposed submissions seeks to share insights via an interactive session that features the National Center on Health, Physical Activity, and Disability (NCHPAD) inclusive and accessible “Coffee Club” program for people with a disability (PWD) that is an extension of NCHPAD’s eHealth/mHealth telewellness program for people with disabilities: Mindfulness, Exercise, and Nutrition To Optimize Resilience (MENTOR) featuring mind, body, spirit wellness domains. The NCHPAD Coffee Club seeks to provide an inclusive and welcoming setting for PWD to stay connected over coffee and conversations, have opportunities to hear about ideas for wellness in new and expansive ways, and to engage with others where they feel seen and heard and build authentic friendships. Coffee Club was initiated during the pandemic as a mechanism to extend gatherings for NCHPAD MENTOR participants who did not want to “let go” of their community. Since its inception in August of 2021, there have been 36 members to join with more engaging each Coffee Club. A NCHPAD Community Health Educator, who is the epitome of peace, love, and calm, helps facilitate sessions by sharing wellness information and invites members to co-facilitate so that it truly is one in which the whole is greater that sum of its parts. Members often co-facilitate based on their own coping strategies which provides multiplicative opportunities for engagement and connectedness. Members are encouraged to come and go through the bi-weekly sessions as they are able to join. We propose emulating the Coffee Club conversation as a roundtable discussion.
Chronic disease management and prevention Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs Program planning Public health or related education Social and behavioral sciences