Policy, Systems and Environmental (PSE) Changes

For individuals with disabilities, there are many barriers faced when accessing health promotion programs in local communities. Inaccessible facilities, transportation, a lack of adapted programs and trained staff, for example, all contribute to the lack of inclusion of individuals with disabilities in health promotion programs. While specialized health promotion programs for certain disability groups can be quite valuable in the short-term, they are often difficult to sustain after the project ends and the resources are no longer available (e.g., staff, time, funds, transportation, expertise, space).  Furthermore, specialized programming may isolate individuals with disabilities and prevent them from being an active part of their local communities and interacting with their neighbors and non-disabled peers. The GRAIDs were developed to address this gap and be the solution that can be used to improve inclusion. The GRAIDs project includes two parts: (1) The GRAIDs Adaptation Framework-a set of methods and criteria were created to adapt evidence-based health promotion programs for people with disabilities, and (2) 20 GRAIDs- a tool that is composed of 20 inclusive obesity prevention guidelines. The 20 GRAIDs consist of inclusive physical activity and nutrition guidelines.

The GRAIDs were developed under a grant from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research. There is an accompanying manual, the iCAN-IMPLEMENT, that helps guide end-users on how to implement the GRAIDs in their local communities. Additionally, the obesity prevention GRAIDs can be accessed online. The online version has corresponding resources and links to further guide end-users how to implement the GRAIDs.   

View the GRAIDS: www.new.reduceobesity.org