Disability Resources
It is important that senior nutrition programs are inclusive of their diverse community members, including people with disabilities. This collection of resources provides tools and information that can help educate and support program staff to create welcoming, accessible environments.
Guides
- Accessible Parking Spaces— Guidelines for accessible parking (ADA.gov)
- Effectively Connecting and Serving Diverse Older Adults — Tips and considerations when serving a diverse group of older adults (Nutrition and Aging Resource Center)
- Disability Language Style Guide— Guidelines regarding the terminology commonly used when referring to disability (National Center on Disability and Journalism, 2021)
- Delivering Telewellness Programs to Older Adults With Disabilities— Guidelines for classes delivered via video conferencing (TechSAge)
- Partnering With Senior Services To Reach Low-Vision Consumers— 45-minute webinar on funding, coordination, partner recruitment, client tracking, and outcomes (Older Individuals who are Blind Technical Assistance Center, 2021)
- Making Your Senior Center Accessible to Low Vision Older Adults— Overview exploring how to make accommodations and processes more comfortable and accessible for those with visual impairments (National Council on Aging, 2021)
Fact Sheets
- Communicating Effectively With People With Disabilities— Tips for successful communication (ADA.gov)
- Service Animals— Explanation on service animals, their differences from emotional support animals, tasks they perform, access rights, and allowed questions (ADA.gov)
- Social Connections Among Older Adults and People With Disabilities— Data spotlight on impact of social isolation (National Core Indicators - Aging and Disabilities)
Tools and Toolkits
- Care Transitions Intervention Toolkit— Aging and disability resource centers toolkit, developed to enhance the Care Transition Intervention model (Washington State Department of Social and Health Services)
- Benefits CheckUp— Comprehensive tool that connects older adults and people with disabilities to benefits (National Council on Aging)
- Understanding Blindness and Low Vision— Free courses on a wide variety of topics (National Research and Training Center on Blindness and Low Vision)