Inclusive Communities Projects

Building Inclusive Healthy Communities using the Community Health Inclusion Index accelerates policy, system, and environmental changes in a community toward greater inclusivity so that people with disabilities have equal access and opportunities for healthier eating and physical activity across community settings.

We work with local communities through a five-phase community change model tooled using the Community Health Inclusion Index; disability advocates in the community are trained and equipped with supplemental resources and technical assistance to build coalitions and accelerate accessibility-focused policy, system, and environmental changes.

The history of this program in Oregon comes from a nation-wide, 18-month pilot program (Jan 2016-Jun 2017) funded by the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Currently, the Oregon Office on Disability and Health and DHS Aging and People with Disabilities are partnering with Disability Advisory Councils, local public health departments, and community-based organizations to replicate this work in Oregon communities.

Our state and national partners include: