American Public Health Association Annual Meeting Moved to Philadelphia

1) The American Public Health Association (APHA) meeting has been moved to Philadelphia, PA, with the new dates of December 10-14, 2005. For more information on the new meeting location, go to http://www.apha.org/meetings. Also, don't forget to be part of the Disability Special Primary Interest Group (DisAbility SPIG) at the APHA Annual Meeting. For more information about the scientific programs, as well as business meetings and social hours, go to http://apha.confex.com/apha/133am/techprogram/program_473.htm.

Toolkit To Increase Physical Activity in Older Adults

2) The Active Aging Toolkit: Increasing Physical Activity Among Adults Aged 50 and Older was developed to serve as a guide for multiple organizations, associations, and agencies to inform and support their planning work related to increasing physical activity among America's aging population. As a result of the Blueprint, The Active Aging Toolkit: Promoting Physical Activity in the Older Adult for Healthcare Providers was developed by a working group of researchers, healthcare providers, professional organizations, and private industry to help healthcare providers prescribe physical activity programs. To learn more, click on http://www.firststeptoactivehealth.com.

Alzheimer's Language and Exercise Curriculum

3) Sharon Arkin, PsyD, Med, a licensed clinical psychologist and Alzheimer's rehabilitation consultant in Tucson, AZ, has developed a program called "Language-Enriched Exercise for Clients with Alzheimer's Disease." This innovative program combines language-enriched activities and physical-exercise interventions for improving the lives of people with Alzheimer's disease (AD). The curriculum includes 14 language-enriched activities and appropriate exercises for clients with mild to moderate AD. For more information and to purchase, go to http://www.dswfitness.com/products/index.cfm?action=detail&productID=481 or call 800-873-6759.

Accessible Playgrounds

4) Boundless Playgrounds: Shallon Kovac, 15-year-old with Down syndrome, loves her school's new playground, which is designed so that children and teens with and without disabilities can play together. Boundless Playgrounds can be found in 21 states and Ontario, Canada. For more information, go to Boundless Playgrounds (http://www.boundlessplaygrounds.org), W.K. Kellogg Foundation (http://www.wkkf.org/), and Matthew Cavedon's site (http://www.play4all.net).