RERC:National Advisory Panel

National Advisory Panel

Chris Mackey

Since December of 2000, Chris Mackey has worked as the Healthy Communities Coordinator for the North Carolina Office on Disability and Health, (NCODH), a CDC-funded project that works to promote the health of persons with disabilities throughout NC. Chris leads efforts in implementing a community training model called Removing Barriers To Fitness Environments. This project, named after one of the Office’s major publications, is designed to teach fitness professionals how to incorporate accessibility and universal design into a typical fitness environment, and to build a community’s capacity to promote health for persons with disabilities. On a national level Chris participated in a work group convened by the American College of Sports Medicine and the National Center on Physical Activity & Disability. that created a new personal training certification focused on persons with disabilities. Chris also developed and implements Work Healthy, Live Healthy, a worksite health promotion program for individuals with disabilities who work in Community Rehabilitation Settings. Some of his additional work with the NCODH addresses access to other types of health promotion environments, including rape crisis centers, dental practices, and medical care facilities. He has an extensive background in issues concerning the Americans With Disabilities Act. In September of 2003 he was named to the Regional Training Team for the Southeast Disability and Business Technical Assistance Center. He and NCODH also work to ensure that state and local public health policy is inclusive of the needs of individuals with disabilities. He has served on the Advisory Board for the UNC Center for Development and Learning and on the Board of Directors for the Exceptional Children’s Assistance Center. Chris has also participated in many state and national youth transition activities. In 2001 Chris was named a National Youth Leader for the Healthy and Ready to Work initiative of the federal Maternal and Child Health Bureau. A North Carolina native, Chris graduated from East Carolina University with a BS in Therapeutic Recreation. He has participated in wheelchair basketball and swimming at both a regional and national level.

Update NCPAD Staff