Physical Activity and Disabilities Essentials

One of our goals at Active Living by Design is to lower barriers to routine physical activity and by promoting active living among all community members. People with disabilities represent a large and growing segment of the general population, yet are often less physically active than those without a disability. Physical activity is a vital part of a healthy lifestyle for people with disabilities, not only to promote health and prevent disease, but also to reduce the number of secondary conditions that can result from an initial disability. There are as many as 49.7 million Americans, or 20 percent of the population with some kind of disability or activity limitation. By adapting activities, changing or modifying the environment or using additional equipment that allows greater participation, people with disabilities can participate in active living. This page offers some important resources to help facilitate your work on this important part of active living.