Every year, Get Active Toronto (GAT) releases its annual report on physical activity levels in Toronto. The report relies heavily on what are collectively known as the 'social determinants of health', or more simply, how a person's position within their community can be a strong indicator of future health outcomes.
Some general barriers to access to physical activity identified in the 2011 report include: convenience, programs available, safety, facilities, skill and ability, cost, information, and social support.
More importantly, GAT's annual report also attempts to identify the host of barriers people in underdeveloped, underprivileged, and at-risk communities face to securing access to physical activity in the city. To this end, the report developed what GAT refers to as Dimensions of Access; that is to say, the physical activity barriers that exist due to socio-economic conditions. These are: financial, public awareness/media, geography and time, socio-cultural, urban planning/transportation, and finally, employment/human resources.
By observing these Dimensions of Access GAT can allow organizations to see where their existing or potential initiatives will best fit; identify where the gaps between programs and people are occurring and/or focus on a specific adjustment with the hope of affecting the overall outcomes for Toronto.
Explanations of each of the Dimensions of Access can be found after the jump!
1. Financial – The cost of attending programs, including membership fees, registration fees, sports equipment and child-care. Income barriers and market factors.
2. Public Awareness/Media – information dissemination (to populations via location, language, age, education), public awareness, media messaging.
3. Geography and Time - the timing of programs and services, and whether they are coordinated with school and work schedules. Locations of programs to maximize accessibility. The time and cost of travelling to the service location, including walk, wait and in-vehicle time, and public transit or vehicle expenses.
4. Socio-Cultural – understanding and accommodating codes of manner, dress, language, religion, rituals, norms of behaviour such as law and morality, and systems of belief as well as the arts to increase participation in physical activity. Enhancing positive social environments. Include gender, racialized groups here. Strengthening social supports at familial, community, and governmental levels - linking back to individuals achieving outcomes.
5. Urban Planning and Transportation - pedestrian traffic, park design, of barrier-free design, usable design, size, number and condition of existing facilities, safety, new facilities, public transit accessibility, vehicular by-law regulations.
6. Employment/Human Resources - "promotion and maintenance of the highest degree of physical, mental and social well-being of workers in all occupations; the prevention among workers of departures from health caused by their working conditions; the protection of workers in their employment from risks resulting from factors adverse to health". In this case specific to increasing physical activity opportunities for employees.
Who is this information for? Do we send it to organizations that build programs and suggest they use the Dimensions of Access as a template before their programs are launched? Is this how we arrive at well-rounded accessible physical activity programs? Who on your board uses these dimensions in their planning?
ReplyDeleteAt the YMCA of Greater Toronto, we have made access to activity part of the focus of our ten year strategic plan.
ReplyDeleteWe help provide access through our Membership Assistance program which ensures that participation in our programs isn't related to income or capacity to pay;
We ensure all of our buildings are accessible to people with disabilities and are retro-fitting some of our sites to provide even better access than before;
We work directly with more than 50% of Newcomers to Canada, inviting them to enjoy YMCA experiences, activities, and healthy lifestyle choices;
All of our full time staff are members of our Health Fitness and Recreation Centres;
We offer programs that appeal to different cultures, and employ staff and volunteers from all backgrounds, cultures, and lifestyles;
We believe that the best way to help children be active is to provide programming for whole families - ensuring everyone can play;
The YMCA is open seven days a week, 365 days a year, with programs scheduled to accommodate the needs of the community and based on their feedback.
The YMCA believes that building healthy communities is vital and we will work to break down barriers or perceived barriers so that no one can say - you can't play.
For more information on YMCA programs and services, link to www.ymcagta.org