Why it Matters: Invest in the Advanced Potential of Everyone
We know that exercise is crucial to improve overall health and reduce risk of chronic diseases, cognitive decline, and psychological disorders. Despite this, only 9% of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) meet recommended activity guidelines. Adults with IDD face three times higher risks of heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and stroke compared to the general population.
Join the Fried Center for the Advancement of Potential (FCAP) in our pursuit to increase access to the benefits of exercise on holistic health – to not only decrease disease risk, but increase the ability to to adapt to change, meet needs, and pursue personal goals.
Investment in health and well-being of FCAP participants
2024 measures revealed that Innisfree coworkers who participate in FCAP……
- Perform higher on the 30 second sit to stand test, suggesting increased leg strength and functional independence.
- Walk at a faster pace, suggesting a decreased risk of hospitalization and increased independence with activities of daily living and ability to safely navigate their home and community.
- Demonstrate a significantly greater compliance with international exercise recommendations compared to adults with IDD and the general population, with 65% of participants meeting recommended exercise guidelines.
How your Investments Make a Difference
FCAP exists due to generous donor support to carry our mission forward. Your contributions help to fund:
Subsidized exercise sessions for adults with IDD in the Crozet and Charlottesville communities, allowing sustainable access to high-quality, functional exercise programming across the lifespan.
Training the next generation of clinicians, with over 85 FCAP interns trained in medical fitness principles thus far and 100% of FCAP alumni moving forward to pursue careers as healthcare or fitness professionals. At FCAP, interns are trained to question and dismantle ableism, to think critically, and to show how much they care before how much they know.
“[Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities] are an underserved population, and we have had the opportunity to see how well they respond. That puts us ahead of the rest of the world in understanding. When we leave and get jobs elsewhere, we need to spread that knowledge. It’s up to us to catch the rest of the world up. We may be the ones to make a change.” — Liz Wombacher, FCAP Intern (Oct ‘21–Dec ‘24), EVMS M.P.A. Class of 2027