Surgeon General Issues Call to Action to Improve the Health and Wellness of Persons with Disabilities
The U.S. Surgeon General, Richard H. Carmona, has appealed to all Americans to help increase the quality of life for people with disabilities through better health care and understanding. This first-ever Surgeon General's Call to Action to Improve the Health and Wellness of Persons with Disabilities was issued on the 15th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Melissa Johnson, executive director of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, issued the following statement of support for Dr. Carmona's initiative:
"Physical activity is vital to the well being of Americans of all ages, backgrounds and abilities. The President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports (PCPFS) commends and applauds the U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Richard Carmona, for appealing to all Americans to help improve the quality of life of people with disabilities through better health care and understanding. PCPFS strongly supports the Surgeon General's Call to Action to Improve the Health and Wellness of Persons with Disabilities. People with disabilities can increase their overall quality of life and well being by choosing active living. Like all other Americans, people with disabilities can derive significant health benefits from 30 to 60 minutes of moderate physical activity on most days of the week. We share Dr. Carmona's goal of increasing understanding nationwide that people with disabilities can lead long, healthy, productive and active lives. We are working with the HHS Office on Disability through the 'I Can Do It, You Can Do It' program to pair children with disabilities with mentors to help the young people become physically active and fit. Our role in this partnership is to provide a tool, the President's Challenge (www.presidentschallenge.org), a program to help people all Americans, including people with disabilities, become active and fit. We pledge our ongoing support to help Americans with disabilities take steps to develop and maintain healthy, active lifestyles."
