Project CHEER (Community Health Education and Exercise Resources) is Kentucky’s State Disability and Health program funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  This project addresses the startling health disparities experienced by individuals with cognitive and mobility limitations through education, empowerment, and accessibility.  Individuals with disabilities are 3 times more likely to have high blood pressure, heart disease, or stroke and the rate of disability is one of the highest in the state of Kentucky at 34.6% (CDC 2017). 

CARE to CHEER is a partnership between the CARE Collaborative and Project CHEER in an effort to incorporate strategies of universally designed resources and inclusion of individuals with disabilities in CARE programming.  Developed supplemental resources incorporating universal design include two visual blood pressure scale aids that allow for the broadest possible audience.  Project CHEER coordinator, Lindsey Mullis, completed the CARE Collaborative training in September 2017, with the intent to explore if and how the CARE educational encounters could also benefit individuals with mobility and cognitive limitations.   To promote accessibility and incorporate universal design into CARE programming sessions included additional prompting up to 6 times and asking for blood pressure range readings in different ways: 

• “What color does your number fall in?”
• “Point at the number/color.”
• “Where is the number 1 -3 -5?”

A pilot project was then conducted targeting individuals with cognitive and mobility limitations. 64 individuals with varying disabilities participated with a cognition rate of 91% for accurately identifying blood pressure range.

Continued partnership for CARE to CHEER hopes to continue focusing on health literacy and incorporation of universal design and intentional inclusion of people with disabilities in health programming efforts including the development of supplemental resources and support for professionals.

For more information on Project CHEER and to check out more universally designed health resources go to: https://www.wellness4ky.org/.

Contact the Project CHEER team at wellness4ky@uky.edu

Link to Video: https://www.wellness4ky.org/resource/care-to-cheer/