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BY KAREN KORSGARD In suburban Chicago, a young mans doctor recommends a program of physical exercise to assist in his recovery from a spinal cord injury. His challenge is to find facilities and programs close to home. A woman in Springfield resolves that her new prosthesis will not keep her from the exercise that she enjoyed before her injury. She knows it is critical to maintaining her health, but doesn't know where to find a facility that can accommodate her needs. A man in Collinsville who suffers a severe visual impairment realizes the need to maintain a physical regimen, even if only a few days a week. What he is not aware of are the programs in his area that will meet his needs—and how to find them. A health club manager in Peoria knows that the Americans with Disabilities Act requires her to make programs and facilities accessible to people with disabilities. What she doesn't know are the specific requirements, or whether there are grants and tax credits available to help her meet this challenge. Recreation Access Illinois (RAI) is a statewide program designed to answer all of these questions, while heightening awareness of recreational opportunities for people with disabilities. Launched in July 2002 by the Office of the Illinois Attorney General, in cooperation with the Illinois Association of Park Districts, RAI has an impact on how people with disabilities look at their health, and how recreation service providers look at the accessibility of their facilities. The primary resource of RAI is its Web sire at www.RecreationAccessIllinois.org or its toll-free hotline at 800.900.8096. Visitors to the Web site are encouraged to search a database created and maintained by the National Center on Physical Activity and Disability through the University of Illinois at Chicago, and find an extensive listing of accessible recreation programs and facilities in Illinois. Owners and operators of health and recreation facilities can also find resources and links to assist in evaluating their facilities and help them comply with accessibility laws. In addition, RAI has published and distributed an informational brochure, and created a series of ads for use by social service agencies and groups serving the disabled community. With the Illinois Association of Park Districts, RAI has sponsored a number of events and activities across the state, including Access Chicago and celebrations of the ADA in other major cities. RAI has become a reality at a time when medical professionals and people who work daily with people with physical disabilities are becoming increasingly aware of the benefits of good physical health for people with disabilities. However, there has been no corresponding increase in promotion of health and recreation opportunities to the disabled community, so many are missing out on those benefits. "People with disabilities need exercise, recreation and social interaction as much or more than the general population," says James Rimmer, director of the National Center on Physical Activity and Disability and a major supporter of Recreation Access Illinois. "Our goal is to make people with disabilities aware of what's available so they can make choices for their good health. We also want to encourage fitness and recreation professionals to make their facilities more customer-friendly to people with disabilities." Rimmer says that nationwide, 1 in 5 Americans has a serious physical disability. For these people, the benefits of physical activity and exercise are the same as for the general population: increased heart and lung function, weight control, lowered blood cholesterol and blood pressure, improved self-esteem, reduced stress; disease prevention, reduced stress, anxiety and depression, and improved flexibility. Rimmer also points out that the likelihood of persons with disabilities living sedentary lifestyles is much greater than those without. One way to get people up and out to a fitness or recreation program is to promote the availability of these programs, which are sometimes a well-kept secret. "The efforts of Recreation Access Illinois signal a renewed emphasis on the health, fitness and well-being of all Illinois residents," says Ted Flickinger, executive director of the Illinois Association of Park Districts, which represents more than 300 Illinois park districts, many of which have extensive programs for adults and children with disabilities.
KAREN KORSGARD March/April 2003 47 |
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