Notes
Activities offered
• Health self-management support and education workshops
• Health promotion
• Peer Support
• Skill building
Building Access
• All community-based sites implementing workshops are responsible for adhering to ADA standards
Living Well with a Disability (LWD) also sometimes referred to as Living Well, is a ten week peer-facilitated health promotion workshop for people with disabilities. Participants in the program learn the life skills they need to set and achieve quality-of-life goals and the important role health plays in helping them reach their dreams. Organizations are licensed to offer the program and individuals are trained and certified to conduct Living Well workshops through an organization.
Most of us practice healthy living when we have meaningful activities we want to do, so the Living Well workshop begins with why we want to be well. Subsequent sessions concentrate on developing tools and skills for healthy living, including setting meaningful goals, having healthy reactions and communication with others, managing mood, seeking information, engaging in appropriate physical activity, healthy eating, and personal and systems advocacy.
Living Well is the culmination of over 20 years of research and development aimed at reducing the severity and incidence of secondary conditions and supporting health self-management. It is grounded in the independent living philosophy and has been created for people with disabilities, by people with disabilities.
Living Well participants report improvement in outlook and positive changes in daily activity, such as new recreational pursuits, employment, or returning to school. Many learn they can pursue meaningful goals despite limitations, and finally, participants develop a sense of belonging and feel accepted and encouraged through the practice of peer support within the workshop setting.