Delphine Labbé is awarded a $600,000, three-year grant from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation

Delphine Labbé, DHD assistant professor, was awarded a $600,000, three-year grant from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation for “Everybody Moves!”, a project to promote leisure-time physical activity for Latine and Black people with disability.

“We know that people from Black and Latino communities do less physical activity for different reasons—lack of programs, lack of access, other barriers like transportation and costs. There’s also a lack of information about what’s available,” Labbé said.

The researchers will survey individuals and the organizations that serve them to learn what activities are popular and currently available.

“We want to talk with individuals with disability about their needs, their current physical activity and the barriers they face,” Labbé said.

The researchers will survey park districts and community organizations to learn what activities are offered, how they are publicized and how issues of diversity and inclusion are addressed.

The project’s goal is to create recommendations that will result in programs for leisure-time physical activity that are enjoyable, accessible and culturally appropriate for Black and Latine people with disabilities.

“We want to make sure that organizations are reaching this population, because we know they’re poorly served right now,” Labbé said.

Co-PIs include Monika Stodolska, professor of recreation, sport and tourism in the UIUC College of Applied Health Sciences, DHD assistant professor Yochai Eisenberg and DHD postdoctoral research fellow Casey Herman. Community liaison is T.J. Gordon, Institute of Disability and Human Development.