Individuals with high levels of exercise self-efficacy and motivation to exercise were the most likely to maintain a regime of regular physical exercise. Individuals who reported concern about their ability to exercise as well as fatigue, lack of time or interest in exercise as barriers were found to exercise least regularly. Though preliminary, these findings suggest that neither level nor type of disability represent barriers to physical activity. Rather, efforts to increase the physical activity of persons with disabilities must focus on attitudes regarding the value of physical activity. In all cases, the ATU will try to provide solutions that make a match between an individual s abilities and the exercise task that they are trying to perform.
Clinicians work together in different combinations depending on the nature of the referral.
The ATU provides services to approximately 500 consumers in northeast Illinois each year. The ATU is the largest mobile provider of Assistive Technology services in the United States. The ATU provides services in the areas of Activities of Daily Living, Adaptive Equipment, Augmentative Communication, Computer Access, Environmental Control Unit, Home Modification, Mobility, Seating, and Worksite Modification. If a commercially-available option exists, the ATU will provide information on how and where it can be obtained. In other cases, the ATU will work with other local resources available to the individual, such as the fitness center staff or local fabricators.