About the Organization:

The National Center on Physical Activity and Disability (NCPAD) is operated by the Department of Disability and Human Development at the University of Illinois at Chicago and works in partnership with the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (RIC) and the National Center on Accessibility (NCA) at Indiana University. The University of Illinois at Chicago is solely responsible for all information on this site. Funding for the Center is provided through a grant from the Disability and Health Branch of the Division of Birth Defects, Child Development and Disability and Health in the National Center for Environmental Health at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta.

At NCPAD we believe that exercise is for every body, and everyone can reap benefits from regular physical activity. Having a disability does not mean you cannot be healthy! For an excellent discussion of this view, please read our monograph Can disability, chronic conditions, health and wellness coexist?. Our goal is to encourage and support people with disabilities who wish to increase their overall level of activity and participate in some form of regular physical activity. The Surgeon General of the United States has reported that regular physical activity is an important part of healthy lifestyles. Toward that end, we offer a variety of resources to help people with disabilities become more active. We also offer resources for fitness and exercise professionals, health professionals, and researchers who share our interest in promoting increased physical activity for people with disabilities.

Contact Info:

NCPAD
1640 W. Roosevelt Road
Chicago, IL 60608-6904
You can also call us toll-free during the hours of 8 am and 5 pm (central time zone) Monday through Friday at:1-800-900-8086 (voice and tty)
Voicemail or tty messaging is available during other times and on weekends. You can also contact us via fax at:1-312-355-4058 (fax only)
E-Mail: ncpad@uic.edu
http://www.ncpad.org

Resources on Aging and Physical Activity:

Making Fitness Centers Accessible and Disability and Aging Friendly
A resource to help fitness instructors become more conscious of how to make their facilities accessible.

Health Promotion for People With Disabilities