Building Healthy, Accessible Communities through the National Center on Health, Physical Activity and Disability
Based out of the UAB School of Health Professions, the National Center on Health, Physical Activity and Disability (NCHPAD) is an implementation science and resource center on health promotion for people with disability. Founded in 1999, NCHPAD seeks to help people with disability and other chronic health conditions achieve health benefits through increased participation in all types of physical and social behaviors, including fitness and nutrition, recreational and sports programs, adaptive equipment usage, and more.
The SHP Research Collaborative has secured funding as a national center for people with disabilities through CDC. The strategic priorities of NCHPAD are promoting access, community and environmental change, as well as a health care to wellness system, and providing health and wellness resources to individuals and organizations.
The most recent renewal brought funding from $3M over three years to $25M over five years, and new funding is being directed toward developing NCHPAD Connect, a data coordination center that facilitates participants’ incorporation into a variety of studies such as MENTOR, or Mindfulness, Exercise and Nutrition To Optimize Resilience.