ACE, Special Olympics International and Move to Live More Share Outcomes of Inclusive Physical Activity Leader Course
Posted: November 5, 2025 in Suppliers
ACE
SAN DIEGO, CA – The American Council on Exercise (ACE), Special Olympics International and Move to Live More share early outcomes from the Community Physical Activity Leader (CPAL) course, a free, accessible educational resource designed to equip people with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) to lead inclusive physical activity in their communities.
Over a period of approximately six months, more than 400 individuals worldwide, including Special Olympics athletes, have taken the CPAL course. Notably, 95% of participants reported plans to apply what they learned in the course and lead physical activity programs in their communities.
“CPAL’s outcomes in reach, satisfaction, confidence, and especially inclusion are not only impressive but deeply meaningful. They align perfectly with our mission,” said Cedric X. Bryant, PhD, FACSM, ACE Chief Executive Officer. “It’s a powerful testament to what’s possible when organizations with a shared commitment to community empowerment and inclusion work together.”
“This course aligns with Special Olympics systems change approaches that have found success within the past. We know that the more leaders trained to provide community-based fitness programming that meets the needs of people with and without IDD, the more supportive our communities will be for this population. Most importantly, we’re excited that Special Olympics athletes have taken this course to be able to deliver community-based physical activity programming to their peers,” said Melissa Otterbein, MPH, Director, Fitness & Healthy Lifestyles, Special Olympics International.
Additional key findings include:
Satisfaction: More than 94% of participants said they’d be likely to recommend the course to a friend or family member.
Confidence: 95% of participants strongly agreed or agreed that the course increased their confidence in their ability to get people moving in their community.
Inclusion: Nearly one-third (30.8%) of course participants identified “learning how to include people with intellectual disabilities in programs” as the most valuable aspect of the course.
The CPAL course is available for free online and includes a specific module focused on working with individuals with IDD, whether as fellow community leaders or participants in community fitness settings.
“CPAL participants are ready to lead their friends, families, colleagues and neighbors in inclusive physical activity programming, and their leadership will make communities around the world healthier and more active,” said Amy Bantham, DrPH, FACSM, Move to Live More CEO and Founder.
” I really liked learning new ways to exercise,” said Special Olympics Hawaii Athlete and Health Messenger Ashley Graham. “I use the training I received at my practices and competitions with my fellow athletes. As a Health Messenger for Special Olympics Hawaii, the training was very useful for me.”
Impact of CPAL on Inclusive and Accessible Physical Activity for Individuals with IDD
Approximately 1-3% of the global population (about 200 million people) has an intellectual disability (Patel, 2020). People with IDD often lead more sedentary lives and are less physically active compared to the general population. Individuals with IDD are at high risk for developing metabolic syndrome, overweight and obesity, and osteoporosis.
Through CPAL, Special Olympics, ACE and Move the Live More aim to reduce the barriers to physical activity that people with IDD often face. Beyond fitness alone, these barriers can be personal, social, financial, organizational, and environmental and may include:
Limited attention from service providers;
Insufficient resources, limited independent access to community fitness settings;
Reduced physical abilities;
Low self-confidence;
Mobility impairments;
Transportation challenges;
A lack of tailored exercise programs, and;
Inadequate support from caregivers, friends and family members.
CPAL addresses these challenges by offering practical guidance for safe, inclusive, and effective physical activity programing, along with strategies to engage communities in making fitness more accessible for all.
This initiative was supported in part by the Special Olympics Systems Change for Inclusive Health Subgrant, funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The contents of this project are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the Department of Health and Human Services.
