Our mission is to empower people with physically disabling conditions to achieve better health, increase self-sufficiency, and become more engaged in the community.
Many Thanks To Our Donors For A New Nustep
Gathering Strength held an online fundraiser earlier this year to replace an old and broken Nustep in Frazier Rehab Institute’s totally accessible Community Fitness and Wellness (CFW) gym.
Generous donors made it possible for Gathering Strength to purchase a $9,000 T6Max Nustep and place it in the CFW gym for use by people with a variety of disabling conditions. Gathering Strength’s Executive Director took it for a spin and loved how easy it is to transfer to the seat and its smooth operation. It is the only accessible exercise equipment where she can get cardiovascular exercise and simultaneously move her paralyzed legs.
The new Nustep has a fully swiveling and adjustable bariatric seat, lap and chest belts, leg stabilizers, gripping aids, and pre-set workouts. The CFW gym members are using it all the time. We’re so grateful for the donors who have helped to improve the health of people with disabilities by making this equipment available.
Gathering Strength believes that equitable access to health and wellness resources is a social justice issue. Accessible, health-promoting physical activity is vital for people with disabilities to improve and maintain their health for a lifetime.
Community Fitness & Wellness Gym
Gathering Strength partners with Frazier Rehab Institute in Louisville, Kentucky to support the Community Fitness and Wellness (CFW) gym. CFW is the only fully accessible gym, specifically for people with disabling conditions in the region.
On-Line Health & Wellness Classes
Gathering Strength offers a wide variety of online health and wellness classes including adapted cardiovascular and strength training, stress reduction, yoga, as well as online educational events. Recordings of past classes are available.
Helpful Resources
Click the button below to find a list of helpful Resources to Support People with Disabilities and Their Families.
The resources include some helpful advice, interesting research, and practical guidelines on maintaining and improving fitness and wellness while living with a disabling condition, such as spinal cord injury or stroke.
Inclusive Digital Access Pilot Project
Gathering Strength is conducting a pilot project that provides a hotspot, a laptop, and assistive technology to people with disabilities who live on low incomes.
The goal is to find practical ways to increase inclusion, decrease isolation, and improve health & wellness for participants by lowering barriers to internet access so they can participate in Gathering Strength’s health & wellness activities and other vital online community resources.
Resources for SCI Survivors of Violence
Gathering Strength is collaborating with Pushing forward, a Louisville nonprofit, to provide assistance to newly injured spinal cord injury survivors of violence.
The goal of this project is to make the transition to home easier by assisting with wheelchair storage needs, bathing needs, and minor home modifications to improve independence and accessibility.
For more information email: kiara@pushingforwardinc.org
Inclusion and Advocacy
For the good of the community and the individual with a disability, community spaces must be inclusive. One barrier to inclusion is the lack of accessible parking. The public remains uninformed about the need to keep accessible parking spaces available for people with disabilities, and accessible parking laws are inadequately thorough and inadequately enforced. Gathering Strength seeks to improve state and local parking laws, better educate the public, and organize support for both endeavors
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) entitles people with disabilities to full and equal access to healthcare services. Healthcare providers should have accessible offices and exam rooms, accessible exam and diagnostic equipment, and should provide reasonable assistance to enable patients to receive medical care. Gathering Strength works to make these vital community resources accessible.
