Increasing Accessible and Inclusive Physical Activity Programs: Implementation and Evaluation of the Inclusive Community Exercise Training for Community-Based Recreation Facilities - Fitness center staff knowledge and attitudes about disability are significant and persistent barriers to community-based physical activity (PA) participation for community-dwelling adults living with a wide range of disabilities. To address this barrier, I have led an interdisciplinary team to develop and pilot test a disability competency eLearning course for staff at community-based recreation facilities (CBRF) – the Inclusive Community Exercise Training (ICET). ICET first targeted exercise instructors only, but through additional development over the past year, it now includes training for all staff regardless of CBRF role. This project seeks to implement the ICET at one CBRF to evaluate its impact at the trainee/staff level (knowledge, disability attitudes, confidence to create inclusive experiences) and organizational level (accessibility, inclusivity, and organizational readiness to change towards disability inclusivity). The primary NIDILRR outcome domain of this proposal is Community Living and Participation, with long-term implications for Health and Function. Community-based PA fulfills many physical, psychological and social needs, yet unfortunately rates for those living with disability remain far below the national average. This contributes in the long-term to negative outcomes related to health – especially chronic diseases, mental health outcomes and physical function. Many interventions target people living with disabilities themselves, using a behavior-change approach to try and modify PA behavior. However, detrimental organizational (e.g., fitness centers, community parks, etc.) and interpersonal (e.g., fitness center staff and exercise instructors) barriers to PA participation in the community persist. This intervention efficacy study seeks to assess the ICET and its impact on modifying organizational and interpersonal barriers to PA. My primary research questions are: 1) what is the impact of disability competency training on trainee-level outcomes of disability knowledge, attitudes, and confidence to create disability inclusive programming? And 2) what is the impact of disability competency training across staff on center/organizational-level measures of accessibility and inclusivity? To address these research questions, I have identified a local CBRF – D1 Training – as a partner for ICET implementation. D1 Training is located in El Paso County, CO which is home to 86,690 people living with disability1. At the beginning of the one-year study period I will first conduct an accessibility evaluation using the validated AIMFREE instrument (Accessibility Instruments Measuring Fitness and Recreation Environments) and provide center leadership with a report of their assessment that includes readily achievable barrier removal solutions. Second, I will conduct an organizational inclusivity assessment via interview – the validated Community Health Inclusion Index (CHII) with D1 leadership. Third, I will conduct an organizational readiness for change assessment (CHII – 11) among all D1 staff through Qualtrics. Following the organizational baseline data collection period, I will recruit CBRF staff at D1 Training to complete the ICET and 3 rounds of research outcome assessment surveys. Timepoint 1 (T1) will occur prior to the training, T2 will occur immediately following the training, and T3 will occur 2 months after the training. The outcomes that will be measured include participant demographics and CBRF role characteristics (i.e., job function at the center), disability knowledge, confidence to create inclusive experiences, disability attitudes (Attitudes to Disability Scale2 and Multidimensional Attitudes toward Persons with Disabilities Scale3), and ICET feedback. Following T3 trainee-level assessments, I will repeat the AIMFREE and CHII assessments. Analysis of trainee-level outcomes will include repeated measures ANOVA, and organizational outcomes will include descriptive and non-parametric statistical analyses.
