Inclusive Health Coalitions: Champions for Change in Inclusive Community Health Promotion!

Many communities across the country have participated in a change process to improve the health and health outcomes of their community, yet more and equal effort is required to address the health barriers and needs for people with disabilities. For this reason, the National Center on Health, Physical Activity and Disability (NCHPAD), funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities (CDC NCBDDD), in partnership with Easter Seals, the YMCA, and others, is working to correct this gap in order to create an inclusive community change process through the Inclusive Health Coalition initiative.

Inclusive Health Coalitions (IHCs) are diverse groups of community leaders and organizations focused on promoting disability inclusion in programs and services related to physical activity, nutrition and obesity. Coalition efforts focus on the removal of barriers that prevent people with disabilities from achieving the same health transformation opportunities available to community members without disabilities through the creation and modification of community health policies, systems, and environments.

There are currently 20 Inclusive Health Coalitions (IHCs) operating nationwide to promote the inclusion of people with disability in community health transformation efforts. These coalitions are creating healthy opportunities for people with disabilities by establishing partnerships with other community health organizations, creating new, healthy, accessible, programs, and ensuring that inclusion is a cornerstone in community health planning.

Watch the videos below to see the Inclusive Health Coalitions in action:

To learn more about this project go HERE.