People with disabilities face barriers to participating in health promoting activities, whether it is related to the built environment or the way health education programs are designed. This episode discusses collaborative efforts to center universal design for health promoting behaviors in the built environment and within health promotion programs. Guests: Yochai Eisenberg, PhD, MUPP, BA, University of Illinois at Chicago; Lindsey Mullis, MS, PhD ABD, Austin Nugent, and Morgan Turner from the Human Development Institute at the University of Kentucky.
Learning Objectives:
- Explain benefits of universal design.
- Describe collaborative approaches for universal design within health education.
- Identify tools and resources for universal design practices.
- Engage in advocacy for universal design in policies and practices.
Target Audience: Public Health Professionals, Community Services Providers
Duration: ~50 minutes
Continuing Education Information: 1.0 Category 1 Credits for CHES
CHES Provider number: 99036Format: Podcast, Self-Study
Recorded: 4/2023
Guests: Yochai Eisenberg, PhD, MUPP, BA, Lindsey Mullis, MS, PhD ABD, Austin Nugent, Morgan Turner
Hosted by: Allison Root, DrPH, MS, RDN, MCHES®
Dr. Yochai Eisenberg is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Disability and Human Development at the University of Illinois at Chicago and affiliated researcher at the Great Lakes ADA Center. Dr. Eisenberg studies the ways in which neighborhood environments, policies, and systems impact community mobility, health behaviors and health outcomes for people with disabilities using a blend of big data analytics, policy evaluation, and community engaged research. His research has contributed to better understanding implementation of ADA transition plans for the public rights of way in the US, rideshare use and satisfaction among people with disabilities, and accessibility of environments that support healthy, active living. Dr. Eisenberg’s interdisciplinary work reflects his training in public health (PhD), urban planning (Masters) and disability studies and is interwoven in his undergraduate course that explores the links between disability, urban planning, and geography.
Lindsey Catherine Mullis, M.S. PhD. ABD is the Inclusive Health and Wellness Director for the Human Development Institute at the University of Kentucky. Ms. Mullis has expertise in applying universal design strategies to health programs and services. In addition to numerous state health promotion programs she has partnered with the American Heart Association, State Nutrition Education Programs through the USDA, Special Olympics at local, national and international levels to incorporate inclusive strategies and broader access. Ms. Mullis also brings expertise on sexuality and disability through academic, professional, and personal work and research. She also provides valuable lived experience as the parent of a daughter with Down Syndrome.
Austin Nugent is a Disability Program Administrator at the University of Kentucky’s Human Development Institute. She coordinates efforts focused on multi-system change related to disability and access to education, employment, and healthcare. Austin has a bachelor’s in sociology and disability studies from the University of California, Los Angeles, and a graduate certificate in developmental disabilities. She is pursuing her Master of Public Administration with a concentration in disability policy. Over the past 13 years, Austin has held various roles at local, state, and national levels advocating for and implementing best practices for inclusion, including Universal Design (for Learning). Her passion for disability equity stems from her personal experiences with disability. In addition to having obsessive-compulsive disorder and chronic migraines, Austin is the older sister to a school-aged brother with Down syndrome and two adopted brothers impacted by adverse childhood experiences.
Morgan Turner is a Program Education Assistant at the Human Development Institute at the University of Kentucky. Mr. Turner is a strong self-advocate who has both cognitive and physical disabilities. He is an influential leader, expert peer educator, and the host of Morgan’s Musings, a video series dedicated to supporting individuals to become leaders and self-advocates in their own unique way. He works across multiple HDI projects focused on health, advocacy, leadership, education, employment and inclusion. Morgan has co-facilitated inclusive health programs and over 75 trainings on Universal Design in health and disability inclusion for professionals, self-advocates, and community members. He is an athlete and athlete ambassador with Special Olympics. Mr. Turner was invited to participate in the national Special Olympics Inclusive Health Work Group. Morgan was recently appointed to Kentucky’s Employment First Council by Governor Beshear.
Disclosures: The planners, reviewers, and authors have no declared conflicts of interest.
