The other day I was in Queens, New York, visiting my 87-year-old mother when she called me over to her fourth-floor window to view a woman with severe cerebral palsy struggling to move her rolling walker over a slightly elevated portion of the sidewalk. It was unusual for my mother to take notice of something that is and will continue to be a major part of my life - understanding what people with disabilities need and wanting to overcome barriers in the built environment. What was even more surreal about this event was the fact that my mother, who has yet to understand what I do for a living (I have finally given up explaining to her that I am not a physical therapist!), called me over to watch this determined woman use all of her strength and energy attempting to get her walker over the raised portion of her path. This structural challenge was made even more difficult because of the balance issues created by her crouch gait; which causes excessive flexion of the hips and knees as well as internal rotation of the hips.

Read the entire column at http://www.ncpad.org/550/2489/The~Importance~of~Fitness~for~People~with~Disabilities.