CDPP - CDPP Newsletter

April 2023: CDPP Publication List

adrienne — Thu, 30 Mar 2023 17:12:56 +0000

Issue Date: April 2023

A Message from the Project Director

Dear Canadian Disability Participation Project Researchers, Community Partners, Trainees and Supporters,

We have filed our final report with SSHRC for the Canadian Disability Participation Project, bringing the project to an official end.

I am pleased to provide the following document listing all of the papers, books, and book chapters produced by the CDPP over the past nine years. Please click the pdf file or image at the bottom of the newsletter for a copy of the publication list. If you do not have library access to a particular publication and would like to receive a copy, please contact Adrienne Sinden, adrienne.sinden@ubc.ca. CDPP Knowledge Translation products (e.g., guidelines, toolkits, infographics, KT bulletins, blueprints) are available for download on the CDPP website, www.cdpp.ca

Together, we accomplished a tremendous amount of work to better understand and improve employment, mobility and physical activity participation by Canadians with disabilities.

I am thrilled to see the ongoing impact of our work through the use of CDPP resources, tools, blueprints, guidelines and other innovations in Canada and around the world, and heartened to watch CDPP research evolve and extend into new research programs, projects and initiatives.

I thank you for the opportunity to collaborate and to lead CDPP.

With warm wishes,

Kathleen Martin Ginis

CDPP 2023 Publication List 02.28.2023 FINAL.pdf

August 2021 Newsletter

adrienne — Tue, 13 Jul 2021 13:08:41 +0000

Issue Date: August 2021

Last CDPP Annual Survey & Exit Interviews

The KT team invites all CDPP researchers, trainees and community partners to complete a short survey to evaluate the impact of the CDPP network. If you have received an invitation via email, please consider taking 5-10 minute of your day to complete this survey. Thank you to those who have already responded.

The KT team also encourages CDPP researchers, trainees and community partners to participate in an exit interview about your experiences of being part of the CDPP. The findings will be used to evaluate and explain the impact of the CDPP network.

If you are interested in participating in the CDPP exit interview study and/or if you would like more information, please contact Dr. Femke Hoekstra via femke.hoekstra@ubc.ca.

New from CDPP Mobility Researchers! We are near completion of a 4-site RCT of a peer-led physical activity counselling program delivered using smartphones (called ALLWheel project, or VieActive in French). CDPP and Quebec Health Research Funds funded the pilot phases of the project and Craig Nielsen Foundation have funded the RCT. Pilot study findings were encouraging. The intervention shows promise for improving participation in low-intensity physical activity, which may be attributed to improvements in autonomy, perceived competence, internal motivation, and self-efficacy to overcome barriers related to time, transportation and help increased across all time-points.

To learn more about the ongoing ALLWheel/VieActive, click here.

Here’s what pilot participants had to say about the program:

The CDPP Sport and Exercise Team have produced two new Blueprints that provide evidence-based strategies for building quality participation in programs for children and youth. Both Blueprints include case study examples, key considerations and priorities to enhance quality participation, a quality participation strategy guide, and prompts for building a plan to enhance program quality. These resources can be used by coaches, sport program providers, and instructors to ensure they are meeting the needs and participation priorities of their athletes.

The CDPP partnered with:

1. Special Olympics Canada to produce A Blueprint for Building Quality Participation in Sport for Children and Youth with Intellectual Disabilities. The Blueprint is available in English and French and has an accompanying YouTube video.

2. Ausome Ottawa to produce A Blueprint for Building Quality Participation in Sport for Children and Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Click here or the image below for a pdf version of the Blueprint. Click here or the image below for an accompanying YouTube video.

New tools from the CDPP Employment Team! In their open access paper Building the “Business Case” for Hiring People with Disabilities: A Financial Cost-Benefit Analysis Methodology and Example, Drs. Sandra Fisher and Catherine Connelly demonstrate how to empirically estimate the financial implications of hiring employees with disabilities. Based on the paper a fact sheet and infographic (English and French versions) are now available.

1) Click here or the image below for the 2-page fact sheet:

2) The infographic is available in English and French, or click the images below for pdf versions:

July 2020 Newsletter

adrienne — Tue, 14 Jul 2020 17:52:36 +0000

Issue Date: July 2020

Results from the CDPP Annual Survey

Between November 2019 and January 2020, members (n=34) of the CDPP (researchers, trainees, partners) completed a short survey to evaluate the impact of the CDPP network. The majority of the participants (79%) are (highly) satisfied with the way the people and organizations in the CDPP network work together. All participants (researchers and trainees) acknowledged the value of translating CDPP research findings to a non-academic audience. Some researchers and trainees indicated that they feel under social pressure to translate their CDPP research findings to a non-academic audience. The KT Team would like to thank all participants for their time and effort to complete the questionnaire.

Click the infographic for a pdf of the key findings or use this link.

The Abilities Centre and CDPP researchers are conducting a national survey on the impact of COVID-19 on Canadians with disabilities. Results will be shared publicly at the end of July. For more information or to participate, click the English or French image below:

Two CDPP Employment Team members, Dr. Arif Jetha and Dr. Silvia Bonaccio, contributed to The Conversation Canada, a current events website dedicated to sharing university research with the public.

Dr. Jetha looks at the effects of the changing landscape of work on vulnerable workers, including employees with disabilities, and at what can be done to ensure no group gets left behind: click the image or go to https://theconversation.com/the-future-of-work-will-hit-vulnerable-people-the-hardest-131963

Dr. Bonaccio argues that employers are losing out on a largely untapped talent pool by not hiring people living with disabilities, and shows that their concerns about employees with disabilities are unfounded: click the image or go to https://theconversation.com/employers-miss-out-on-talent-by-overlooking-workers-living-with-disabilities-119626

The CDPP Sport and Exercise Team is excited to present a new online resource on the Canadian Physical Activity Guideline for Adults with Spinal Cord Injury (SCI). The physical activity guideline message is translated from the international scientific SCI exercise guidelines using a systematic and community-engaged approach. The supporting evidence-based resource is developed using input from nearly 100 potential end-users (e.g. people with SCI, clinicians, representatives of SCI community organizations).

The resource is available via www.sciguidelines.com.

Click here for the Open Access scientific paper describing the development process.

Also from the CDPP Sport and Exercise Team, a report detailing the process and outcomes of a stakeholder workshop to establish recommendations for the development and dissemination of physical activity information targeting parents of children with disabilities. This report details the seven evidence-based recommendations established through the collaborative workshop approach.

Click the image for a pdf copy of the report:

The CDPP Mobility Team is pleased to announce that we obtained a seven-year $2.5M SSHRC Partnership Grant to continue the work that we began as part of CDPP entitled, “Towards Barrier-Free Communities: A Partnership for Improving Mobility, Access and Participation (MAP) Among People with Disabilities.”

Our overarching goal is to support community organizations and municipalities to develop, evaluate, and implement evidence-based interventions to contribute to the development of barrier-free communities. This Partnership focuses on three streams that have been identified as priorities by our stakeholders: 1) navigation and pedestrian environment accessibility, 2) transportation accessibility, and 3) social accessibility (attitudinal and social factors).

This interdisciplinary, cross-sectoral, tri-provincial (Quebec, Ontario, British Columbia) Partnership includes 11 university researchers, 14 community/business partners, 10 governmental partners, 3 university/health authority partners, and 10 other collaborators.

This partnership will address community-driven research questions, and co-create, evaluate, and implement innovative interventions that can inform the development and scaling up of evidenced-based policies and practices to increase mobility, access, and participation for people with disabilities. This collaborative Partnership will provide evidence to support the implementation of novel interventions that can rapidly and effectively be integrated into daily practices, will offer training and development opportunities for students and community partners and, ultimately, will support the development of barrier-free and accessible communities for people with mobility issues.

Social Sciences and Humanities Research Funded Partnership

January 2020 Newsletter

adrienne — Wed, 22 Jan 2020 16:33:23 +0000

Issue Date: January 2020

Thank you for completing the CDPP Annual Survey 2019

Between November 2019 and January 2020, members of the CDPP were invited to complete a short survey to evaluate the impact of the CDPP network. The KT Team would like to thank you for your time and effort to complete this survey. An infographic including the key findings will be presented in the next CDPP newsletter (spring 2020).

IMPORTANT REMINDER: When a project is nearing completion, please contact the KT Shoppe at kt.cdpp@ubc.ca for next steps in the KT process.

Click HERE to learn more about the KT Shoppe

The Tomasone lab from the Sport & Exercise Team has been hard at work to systematically develop evidence-based strategies to create quality participation experiences in exercise settings for people with disabilities. At the Canadian Society for Psychomotor Learning and Sport Psychology Conference (SCAPPS, 2019) the lab presented several phases of their research. A manual highlighting this research is forthcoming.

Six members of the CDPP Employment Team collaborated on a project on partnerships and integrating partner perspectives throughout the entire research process. They argue that an integrated partnered research approach potentially offers researchers in industrial/organizational psychology and organizational behaviour a way to conduct research that is relevant and rigorous.

Click https://doi.org/10.1017/iop.2018.123 for the paper

Bonaccio, S., Connelly, C.E., Fisher, S., Gellatly, I.R., Gignac, M.A.M., Jetha, A. (2018). Beyond managing research partnerships: Partnered research as an integrated methodological approach. Industrial and Organizational Psychology, 11(4), 613-619.

The Mobility Team’s paper Up on the hill: The experiences of adaptive snow sports has been accepted in Disability and Rehabilitation. This study assessed the experiences of people with disabilities participating in the Vancouver Adaptive Snow Sports program and explored the factors that influence participation.

Three themes emerged from the data analysis: (1) mountain top moments, which describes positive experiences and successful participation in adaptive snow sports; (2) finding your line, which describes the instructors and equipment that lead to successful participation; and (3) icy slopes and trail blazing, which outlines the social, physical, and institutional challenges that come with participation in adaptive snow sports. Generally, the findings suggest that adaptive snow sports helps people with disabilities to increase confidence, and find a sense of purpose and belonging.

July 2019 Newsletter

adrienne — Thu, 25 Jul 2019 14:28:48 +0000

Issue Date: July 2019

The CDPP is hard at work on a Cross-Cutting project that brings together the Employment, Mobility, and Sport & Exercise teams to look at what factors predict, and what outcomes are associated with, quality participation in sport, exercise, employment and mobility for Canadians with a physical disability. This survey study will help identify factors that can be modified in workplace, physical activity, and community settings to improve the quality of participation by Canadians with physical disabilities. The study will also shed light on the benefits of quality participation in these settings.

NEW! The Mobility Device Training Catalogue: Online Resources for Canadians Living with Disabilities has just been released.

This bilingual catalogue (French and English) was created by members of the Mobility Team, and provides online training resources for common mobility aids for Canadians living with disabilities. Such mobility aids include: crutches, canes, walking aids, manual and motorized wheelchairs, and scooters. We intend the resource catalogue to be used to provide Canadians across the country with quality information about how to use mobility devices.

Click the pdf file for a full copy of the catalogue:

Mobility Device Training Catalogue CDPP FINAL.pdf

In a paper led by Dr. Silvia Bonaccio of the University of Ottawa/Telfer School of Management and the Employment Team, the authors provide evidence-based responses to 11 specific concerns that employers have about people with disabilities. The authors address concerns throughout the employment cycle, from pre-employment and entry experiences to the final dissolution of the employment relationship. The paper summarizes and evaluates the relevant empirical evidence, and provides recommendations for organization and avenues for future research.

Click HERE for the Open Acess Paper

Click HERE for the Infographic Press Release

Now available from the Sport & Exercise Team:

A new catalogue of resources for health and recreation practitioners---Supporting Physical Activity among Canadians with Physical Disabilities: Resources for health and recreation practitioners supporting physical activity among Canadians with physical disabilities. The tools and resources in the catalogue are intended to provide practitioners with knowledge and strategies to support physical activity among people with physical disabilities.

Click the pdf file for a fully copy of the catalogue:

Health & Recreation Practitioners Resource Catalogue CDPP FINAL.pdf

February 2019 Newsletter

adrienne — Thu, 07 Feb 2019 18:50:58 +0000

Issue Date: February 2019

Key Findings of CDPP Annual Survey 2018

In August/September 2018, all members of the CDPP were invited to complete a short survey to evaluate the impact of the CDPP network. The KT Team created an infographic of the key findings of the annual survey 2018 including some points to be aware of in 2019. Almost all researchers and trainees mentioned that the KT consultation service is of value for the CDPP network. However, the majority (81%) of the researchers and trainees have not yet contacted CDPP’s Knowledge Translation (KT) Support Service (KT Shoppe).

IMPORTANT REMINDER: When a project is nearing completion it is time to contact the KT Shoppe at kt.cdpp@ubc.ca for next steps in the KT process.

Click the pdf filename to download the Infographic: Infographic CDPP Annual Survey 2018.pdf

Click here to learn more about the KT Shoppe

A systematic review led by Dr. Arif Jetha, of the CDPP Employment Team, examined work-focused interventions to support the transition of these young adults into the labour market. In this presentation, he shares findings and highlights the effectiveness of these interventions across different career stages and disability types.

Click here for the presentation

Click here for the Open Access paper

The CDPP Sport and Exercise Team is excited to provide the Ability Toolkit: A Resource for Parents of Children and Youth with a Disability, a parent-centered resource aimed to help children of all abilities meet the Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guideline recommendations.

Developed in partnership with the CDPP Sport and Exercise Team, the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology (CSEP), ParticipACTION, Healthy Active Living and Obesity Research (HALO) CHEO, and stakeholders including parents of children with a disability, the toolkit offers information regarding the content of the guidelines, provides examples of activity modifications, and details additional community resources that may be helpful to parents.

Click the pdf filename to download English and French versions of the toolkit: Ability Toolkit-Final-ENG.pdf Ability Toolkit-Final-FRENCH.pdf

The Mobility Device Training Catalogue: Online Resources for Canadians Living with Disabilities is just about ready to share with CDPP members and the broader community. The catalogue, created by members of the Mobility Team, provides a summary with weblinks to existing training resources for common mobility aids including walking aids, wheelchairs, and scooters. The resource catalogue will provide Canadians with quick access to quality information about how to use mobility devices.

Stay Tuned!

November 2018 Newsletter

adrienne — Tue, 20 Nov 2018 17:54:33 +0000

Issue Date: November 2018

Thank you for completing the CDPP Annual Questionnaire 2018

In August/September 2018, all members of the CDPP were invited to complete a short questionnaire to evaluate the impact of the CDPP network. The KT Team would like to thank you for your time and effort to complete this questionnaire. All participants (researchers, trainees and community partners) acknowledged the value of translating CDPP research findings to a non-academic audience. However, some researchers and trainees indicated that they did not have the knowledge and skills to translate their CDPP research findings to a non-academic audience. Almost all researchers and trainees mentioned that the KT consultation service is of value for the CDPP network. The results of the Annual Questionnaire will be used to further optimize the KT support service to CDPP researchers, trainees, and partners. An infographic including the key findings of the questionnaire will be available in December 2018.

Our KT Team created an animation video to explain the procedures of the Knowledge Translation (KT) consultation service, also known as the KT Shoppe. The KT Shoppe is a KT consultation service for CDPP researchers, trainees, and partners.

Click here to watch the video and learn more about the KT Shoppe.

The CDPP's Family-Focused Sport and Exercise Team is excited to share the second issue of their newsletter, now named Ability Insights. In the second issue, we share a few preliminary results from the ongoing NPAM study, provide updates from the first Family Advisory Committee's meeting, and share an evidence-based way for parents to continue supporting their child's physical activity. We hope this newsletter connects our readers to the research we are working on and provides families with the resources to support kids with disabilities to be active!

For a copy of the Ability Insights newsletter click the file name: Ability Insights - CDPP Sport & Exercise Family Newsletter - Fall 2018.pdf

The Mobility Team recently hosted two events to showcase the results of the dEMAND project and to promote dialogue about the barriers and facilitators to participation in the environment, with a focus on solutions and priorities. For these events, the team developed a game called On the Move to raise awareness about accessibility. Over 175 individuals attended these events, including local and national policy makers and members of advocacy groups.

Members of the Employment Team are conducting a national longitudinal study that explores factors that contribute to the development and outcomes of employability in individuals with physical disabilities. Preliminary results presented at the Canadian Association for Research on Work and Health (CARWH) conference in Vancouver suggest that high quality employment counselling may be associated with improved self-reported health.

For a copy of the poster click the file name: CARWH Poster Oct 2018.pdf

September 2018

adrienne — Tue, 18 Sep 2018 14:35:23 +0000

Issue Date: September 2018

NEW! CDPP Community Partner

We are excited to welcome our newest community partner, Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities, to the CDPP Team. Jumpstart is a national charity whose goal is to help children overcome accessibility and financial barriers to participation in sport and recreation to promote inclusive play for children of all abilities. With a project currently underway with the Sport and Exercise Team (described next) this partnership provides opportunity to enhance physical activity participation for young Canadians with disabilities.

CDPP Team Highlights

The researchers from the Sport and Exercise Team, with the support of Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities, have been working on a National Physical Activity Measurement (NPAM) study to gather population-level data on the movement behaviours (i.e., physical activity, sedentary time, and sleep) of Canadian children and youth, ages 4 to 17 years, with any type of disability. These data are critical for developing effective evidence-based policies and programs to serve Canadian children and youth with disabilities. Canada-wide recruitment has resulted in 246 participants and data are being collected using Fitbit® and accelerometry technology, surveys, and interview techniques. Our NPAM team is actively seeking families to participate in this research study. If you have any questions about the research please feel free to get in touch with the Principal Investigator, Dr. Kelly Arbour-Nicitopoulos or the Research Coordinator, Ms. Ritu Sharma, at 416-978-2725.

Jennifer Ho (pictured right, with her supervisor, Silvia Bonaccio on the left) successfully defended her Master's thesis Exploring the Job Carving Process for Individuals with Disabilities: A Thematic Analysis of the Facilitators and Hindrances. Jennifer earned her MSc from the Telfer School of Management (University of Ottawa) supported by the CDPP Employment Team, and is beginning in the PhD program at the DeGroote School of Business (McMaster University). Her abstract and thesis are at https://ruor.uottawa.ca/handle/10393/38042.

On the Move: Navigating the Neighbourhood is the last video of a series of 3 from the Mobility Team’s research Enabling Mobility and Participation Among Those with Disability (dEMAND). It highlights the important issues faced by mobility device users in Vancouver. We follow two participants on their journeys to understand the positive actions that have been taken to make Vancouver a more inclusive community, as well as the areas still needing further improvement.

July 2018 Newsletter

adrienne — Tue, 03 Jul 2018 14:23:58 +0000

Issue Date: July 2018

Canadian Disability Participation Project

Team Highlights

Our community partner, Gateway Association, published a piece written by the Employment Team on Job Performance Assessment in its newsletter thelens. Employment Team members are working with Gateway Association on a study about job carving.

On the Move: Connecting in the Community is the second video of a series of 3 developed by the Mobility Team to raise awareness with various stakeholders who are able to make an impact on the accessibility of the city. The goal is to implement more informed planning strategies for people who use mobility devices and to enable them to become more active members in their community.

This family-focused newsletter is one way the Sport and Exercise Team will connect regularly with kids with disabilities and their families, along with community organizations and recreation facilities and programs. In this first issue, and in issues to come, we’ll share our research, highlight opportunities for readers to contribute to projects, and create opportunities for open dialogue – all with the goal of getting kids with disabilities more active.

May 2018 Newsletter

adrienne — Wed, 02 May 2018 18:43:56 +0000

Issue Date: May 2018

Message from the Project Director:

In the first four years of the CDPP, we have published over 40 academic papers, produced nearly 20 knowledge products, and engaged more than 150 trainees. These are accomplishments to celebrate! However, with our success has come an unexpected problem: how to squeeze all that great work into a bi-annual newsletter. This month, we launch a new newsletter format, highlighting one recent accomplishment from each CDPP team. We now plan to send newsletters every other month, with bite-size amounts of information that direct readers to the newest CDPP research and knowledge translation products. We hope you find this new format useful and we welcome your feedback.

Kathleen Martin Ginis

Team Highlights

The Sport and Exercise Team is excited to provide A Blueprint for Building Quality Participation in Sport for Children, Youth, and Adults with a Disability. This checklist introduces key concepts that underpin quality participation, and provides tools for building quality participation in sport programs.

On the Move: Wheeling the Walk is a video created by the Mobility Team that draws on results of environmental audits and photo documentation highlighting barriers to neighbourhood mobility experienced daily by mobility device users.

The Canadian Arthritis Patient Alliance has highlighted the Employment Team’s research calling for greater organizational awareness regarding the impact of arthritis on employees of all ages.