For many individuals, being able to go to a gym to work out is something that is taken for granted. However, for some, like those who have developmental disabilities, working out at a gym is something that may not even be a possibility. Harvey Greenberg, a Special Olympics coach and father to a son with a developmental disability, came to this realization a few years ago and decided to do something to change it. He noticed that many individuals he knew who had developmental disabilities were becoming increasingly more sedentary and gaining more weight, so he decided to get his fitness certification through the American Council on Exercise (ACE) and bring the workouts to the individual's home. While this was a great start, he was limited as to what exercises he could do with them at home as well as what equipment he could use, so he tried speaking with larger gyms in the hopes of being able to open their doors to include populations of people with developmental disabilities. When the gyms weren't receptive to this idea, Greenberg decided to open his own gym thus starting HOPEFitness in December 2006.

To read this article, go to: http://www.ncpad.org/776/4144/Community~Voice~~~Program~Spotlight~~HOPEFitness.