NCHPAD NEWS & PRODUCTS

• NCPAD's Accessible Programs Database: Add your accessible fitness, sport or recreation program to NCPAD's Accessible Programs Database (http://www.ncpad.org/directories/15/Programs). Recognized programs have been entered into a database that will allow individuals to locate what's available in their area. Consumers can access the database by going to www.ncpad.org, searching by state, or calling the toll-free hotline at 800-900-8086 and asking what is available in a certain part of the country. The first step is to fill out the online questionnaire with your program's information at: http://www.ncpad.org/requestForm/Programs. Contact Cheeri Ong at cheeri@uic.edu or 800-900-8086 with questions.

• NCHPAD Personal Trainers Database: Personal trainers, add your information to the NCHPAD database/online survey at http://www.ncpad.org/directories/19/Personal~Trainers, which can be great advertising for potential clients before and after the holiday season.

• Dr. James Rimmer, Director of NCPAD, and Michael Grice, NCHPAD Outreach Specialist, were featured in the December 6 edition of the University of Illinois at Chicago News. The article focuses on the renewal of the Personalized Exercise Program grant funded from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Participants must have a mobility disability and a body mass index of between 30 and 40 (moderate to severe obesity), and will be randomized into one of three groups that can include coaching on exercise and diet.

• On December 13, Dr. Rimmer presented the keynote address for the Inclusive Fitness National Conference in Westminster, London. To review the brochure, go to http://www.inclusivefitness.org/images/categories/national_con_a4_regis_v2.pdf. For more information about the Inclusive Fitness Initiative, go to http://www.inclusivefitness.org/ifi-national-conference/fit-for-inclusion/.

  OTHER NEWS

  • The best way to choose a toy for a child with a disability, according to Sue Mistrett, director emeritus of "Let's Play," is to "observe, watch, and see what is happening between the child and the toy." Watching and observing children at play with their toys, she states, "provides clues about the child's interests and developmental stage and the direction in which the child should be guided." For more information, go to http://www.fctd.info/resources/newsletters/index.php.

  • Labels for Education allows schools to collect proofs from eligible Campbell brands to earn points toward redeeming free merchandise, including physical fitness equipment. Recess Rewards offers bonus points for volunteer projects, fitness activities, or education programs that promote learning, proper nutrition, and wellness. For more information, visit www.labelsforeducation.com.

  • The National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) has developed a new training course based on its ADA and ABA accessibility guidelines for play areas. Guidelines cover access to play components, including elevated structures, surfacing, and other elements of play areas. The 3-hour course can be used to train park and recreation professionals, designers, landscape architects, manufacturers, operators and others. For more information, contact NRPA at 703-858-2148 or rgeiger@nrpa.org, or visit the website at www.nrpa.org.

  • As Hispanic/Latino-Americans are 1.5 times more likely to have diabetes than non-Hispanic/Latino whites of similar age, Hispanic/Latino-Americans are at greater risk for nontraumatic amputation. To visit the newly established Spanish section of the Amputee Coalition of America website, go to www.Amputee-Coalition.org/Spanish.