As we celebrate 25 years of NCHPAD, we’re immensely proud of the nationwide impact we’ve had promoting the health, wellness and inclusion of people with disabilities into all areas of life. To commemorate our 25th anniversary, we’re looking back on our two-and-a-half decades of work.
NCHPAD’s 25 years of work with and for people with disabilities set the bar for our society to become more accessible and inclusive.
“Inclusion in health promotion and wellness activities is one of the most essential human rights in our society, no different from what curb cuts, ramps and accessible bathrooms did many years ago to allow people with disabilities to leave their homes,” said Dr. Jim Rimmer, NCHPAD Director. “NCHPAD’s 25 years of work with and for people with disabilities set the bar for our society to become more accessible and inclusive.”
From 1999 to 2012, we were known as the National Center on Physical Activity and Disability (NCPAD), based at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Our journey began with a clear mission: enhancing access to physical activity for individuals with disabilities.
During the first 13 years of NCHPAD, we focused on what could be considered the most important pathway to optimizing health and function: exercise. As we became a leader in promoting physical activity in people with disabilities, we decided that we needed to broaden our emphasis on health and well-being, and in 2012 we added an “H” to our name, for health.
“Adding health to our name gave us more tools in our toolbox to assist people with disabilities in improving their personal health and well-being,” said Dr. Rimmer. “And moving here to UAB, which includes a strong core of researchers who understand every aspect of physical activity and disability, has been absolutely crucial to our growth as the national leader in promoting the health and wellness of people with disabilities. We really could not practice this type of inclusion science without strong, continual support from UAB.”
Paralympian and public speaker Bob Lujano joined NCHPAD immediately after the move to Birmingham. He is grateful for the resources and opportunities NCHPAD has provided and proud to continue our legacy of inclusion and accessibility.
“Over the past 12 years, it has been my honor to work as an Expert Inclusion Specialist (EIS) at the NCHPAD – a job that is a continuous joyful endeavor,” said Lujano. “A big thanks to NCHPAD and those who have paved the way for me to have a platform of disability service in which I am allowed to forge ahead with my own disability lived experience. Here’s to many more years of NCHPAD continuing to better the lives of people with disabilities!”
During our first few years in Birmingham, we pioneered several initiatives promoting health and wellness among the disability community. From building a ‘paperless’ Information Center to transitioning towards dynamic online programs, we continuously evolved to better serve our community’s needs.
Our goals during this time were ambitious yet important: We wanted to improve access to programs, venues and services while increasing participation in beneficial physical activity and nutrition. We also worked to promote adherence to healthy behaviors and advocated for policy change and education by bridging research to practice through several unique, innovative approaches.
We are immensely proud of two significant milestones during that time: the launch of “NCHPAD 14 Weeks to a Healthier You,” a revolutionary online program offering personalized resources for physical activity and nutrition to individuals of all abilities and health aspirations, and our collaboration with the American College of Sports Medicine to introduce the Certified Inclusive Fitness Trainer training program.
“The past 25 years have allowed NCHPAD to make a positive impact on inclusion and disability in the education space,” said Penny Edwards, NCHPAD Program Manager. “We have impacted administrators, future leaders, university professors, classroom teachers, health educators, physical educators and the list goes on in the education space, reaching well over one million students! We can’t wait to see what the next 25 years bring.”
We have impacted administrators, future leaders, university professors, classroom teachers, health educators, physical educators and the list goes on in the education space, reaching well over one million students!
In 2013, we launched our YouTube channel. Our YouTube channel is our largest resource hub, with over 30,000 subscribers – reaching millions each year. It’s been an incredible journey of sharing valuable content and stories that equip and empower people with lived experience and stakeholders who work with people with disabilities.
“Throughout the years of NCHPAD, we’ve interviewed hundreds of people with disabilities. It’s a huge privilege to be trusted with that access, learn about their needs, platform their stories and foster change,” said Matt Henton, NCHPAD Video Production Manager. “We get to work directly with these individuals to create resources that can help millions of people. We’re uniquely poised and honored to slowly fill the disability health and wellness content vacuum, one video at a time.”
In the beginning days, our focus was on creating concise exercise videos that catered to individuals with physical disabilities, to promote health. As time passed, we broadened our content to include information on adapted sports, community inclusion guides, cooking demonstrations, disability education and material tailored for teenagers and children. This expansion reflected (and continues to reflect) our commitment to serving people of all ages and backgrounds, promoting health and advancing inclusion.
“I was born with cerebral palsy and have active epilepsy, so NCHPAD, for me, has been a place to learn about Universal Design, the ADA, internalized ableism, medical ableism, aging and disability, mental health and so much more,” said Ingrid Pfau, Lead Digital Media Producer. “We are here to share stories, educate and help people as much as possible with our resources.”
As time passed, we broadened our content to include information on adapted sports, community inclusion guides, cooking demonstrations, disability education and material tailored for teenagers and children.
Some of our video highlights include our “How-To” series featuring Paralympian Mary Allison Cook, offering practical tips and tricks for navigating life as a wheelchair user, and The Awesome Mary Show with Mary White, focused on spreading positivity and advocating for equal treatment for people with disabilities.
During COVID-19 lockdowns, our nationally recognized home workout video playlist, which provided expert advice for older adults, was featured in The New York Times. In addition to that playlist, we have collaborated with Coach Dave Geslak at Exercise Connection to promote exercise for children with autism and provide valuable resources for parents, caregivers, educators and therapists – and this video series is closing in on an incredible one million views.
“The Autism Exercise video series started in 2015 because both Exercise Connection and NCHPAD wanted to provide evidence-based strategies so practitioners and caregivers could help their autistic clients or children in a variety of physical activity settings. At that time, there was not a lot of information available,” said Dave Geslak, Exercise Connection President and Founder. “Over the years, we have heard from people all over the world, and they say it is so valuable because we are not only sharing evidence-based strategies with field-based exercises but that the videos also involve individuals with autism.”
Lately, our video team has focused on content for our growing roster of health promotion programs, including videos on mindfulness, meditation and healthy, delicious recipes.
In late 2022, we launched NCHPAD Connect, revolutionizing how we connect individuals with disabilities to health promotion programs and personalized resources! NCHPAD Connect is our online portal housing a growing community of health promotion programs and resources for people with disability.
“We have people who have had their disability from birth or people who have gotten their disabilities from accidents or different situations in life,” said Marie Granucci, a participant in several NCHPAD Connect programs. “It’s nice to connect with other people and see things from broad perspectives, like how different people look at different parts of disabilities. No one is ‘woe is me’ or ‘what am I doing here?’”
NCHPAD Connect tackles health disparities head-on by providing comprehensive programs and resources specifically designed to support the health and wellness of people with disabilities and help prevent secondary conditions.
NCHPAD Connect tackles health disparities head-on by providing comprehensive programs and resources specifically designed to support the health and wellness of people with disabilities and help prevent secondary conditions.
“NCHPAD Connect provides information and options for ALL levels of ability and tailors the information to the recipients,” said Teresa White, program participant and assistant coach of a NCHPAD health promotion program. “This is something that I believe makes NCHPAD a unique and valuable resource for any individual with a physical disability.”
Each program focuses on holistic health and wellness, from diet and nutrition to evidence-based mindfulness and meditation, exercise, and more! Each year, there are new programs available through NCHPAD Connect, specially tailored to individual participant needs, goals and feedback.
“We see NCHPAD as a ‘disruptor’ in health and wellness,” said Dr. Rimmer. “We provide connection to every single area of health, from physical and mental health to emotional or spiritual health, which has been often neglected.”
“This connection includes building strong relationships, giving back to others and a versatile, evidence-based spiritual practice that connects the individual to a state of mind that induces peace, joy and love.”
Central to our success has been our collaboration with national healthcare partners, facilitating patient involvement and educating healthcare providers on the importance and impact of inclusive wellness initiatives. Since we started, we’ve made incredible strides in fostering partnerships and expanding our reach to thousands of individuals with disabilities nationwide.
“Our healthcare partners are vital to our success in reaching thousands of additional people across the country. We empower each provider with expert training and disability education that helps reduce medical ableism while increasing empathy and access to care,” said Tracy F. Tracy, NCHPAD Healthcare Inclusion Specialist. “This gives often overlooked or marginalized populations access to programs and resources that make a huge difference in overall health and wellness.”
Our healthcare partners are vital to our success in reaching thousands of additional people across the country. We empower each provider with expert training and disability education that helps reduce medical ableism while increasing empathy and access to care.
Our collaborative approach is deeply rooted in the belief that strategic partnerships are vital for the development and sustainability of community health inclusion.
“Spaulding Adaptive Sports Centers values partnering with NCHPAD; it enriches our programs by connecting us to like-minded organizations and rehabilitation hospitals on a national level, as well as strongly aligns with our four Pillars of Excellence: Education, Advocacy, Outreach and Research,” said Hayley Brown, Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS) with Spaulding and MENTOR health coach. “More specifically, collaboration with the MENTOR Program supports ongoing resource development that is available to all our staff and clients.”
With over 60 national partners on board, including respected names like Ochsner Health, Craig Hospital, Spaulding Adaptive Sports Center, Health Choice Network, Methodist Rehabilitation, Alabama Department of Public Health, Motus Nova, OhioHealth and Cerebral Palsy Research Network, among others, we’re proud of the diverse network we’ve built and the impact we’re making together.
As we reflect on our journey these past 25 years, we’re grateful for the support of our partners and the opportunity to continue advancing inclusion and revolutionizing access to health and wellness. Here’s to many more years of collaboration and progress!
“I would like to end with a tribute to all the NCHPAD staff who joined us from 1999 to the present,” said Dr. Rimmer. “It’s been a joyful 25 years meeting all of these wonderful and dedicated staff and watching them grow into careers that are addressing a tremendous need in our society – inclusion and acceptance.”
Looking ahead, NCHPAD is expanding on our important work of the last 25 years to reach more of the millions of Americans with disabilities. Thanks to our Data Coordinating Center (DCC) and Evaluation and Performance Measurement Team, we are refining and personalizing programs and resources with even more precision.
Comprehensively capturing health behavior changes among our participants across the entire United States deepens our understanding of the multifaceted needs within the disability community. And this systematic data collection effort empowers us to rigorously evaluate the impact of our health promotion programs on participants’ health and quality of life outcomes and continue building evidence-based resources and practices for the disability community. We couldn’t be more excited about the future!
Whether you need a health promotion program, inclusive resource, partnership, educational resource or simply a community to interact with, NCHPAD has something for you. Connect with our team at nchpad@uab.edu or give us a call at 866-866-8896.
