Outreach and Advocacy

GOAL

Provide information and resources that promote the mission of the Coalition to public officials, community stakeholders, and aging road users .

The Outreach and Advocacy focus team members represent a diverse group of agencies and organizations including AARP Florida, FDOT District Community Traffic Safety Teams (CTSTs), Florida Metropolitan Planning Organization Advisory Council (MPOAC), FSU Pepper Institute, Florida Regional Councils Association (FRCA), FLHSMV, and the Area Agency on Aging .

The Outreach and Advocacy team handles information, resources, and outreach . They work to increase both the awareness of the Coalition’s mission, and the distribution of materials and educational programs . They also identify existing policies and best practices that support aging road users .

Key Accomplishments:

Community Partner Program

The Community Partner program, launched in 2020, builds mutually beneficial relationships with organizations and community groups . These partners work alongside the Coalition to improve the safety, access, and mobility of Florida’s aging population through outreach and advocacy . In the 2020-2021 fiscal year, the Coalition acquired 16 Community Partners to assist in the distribution of educational materials in their communities .

The Community Partners webpage was launched in May 2021, providing an easy-to-update hub for existing and potential partners to learn about the program, access forms, order materials, download digital resources, and review the Community Partner Handbook .

Resource Center Updates

The Safe Mobility for Life Resource Center serves as the distribution hub for the Coalition at the FSU Pepper Institute . It allows individuals and stakeholders to request any of the Coalition’s available educational materials . In the last year, the Outreach and Advocacy team developed and added three new educational materials to the Resource Center inventory including the Wrong-Way Driving on the Interstate tip card, which is part of the Roadway Safety tip card series; the Walking booklet (see Aging in Place section for detail), which completes the Tips on Using Transportation Options in Florida series and serves as companion to the Safe Walking for Life Workshops; and the newest stakeholder tip card, Serving People With Memory Loss - Tips for Transit Drivers Providing DementiaFriendly Transportation in Florida (see Prevention and Assessment section for detail) . The team also updated the Resource Center webpage with a new and improved order form that allows interested individuals to read about each resource, see a digital example, and order materials to be mailed directly to the recipient .

Educational Outreach Calendar

The Educational Outreach Calendar was updated to reflect new materials, incorporate existing Coalition goals, and better align with statewide and national campaigns . To increase engagement from all levels of the Coalition, the calendar now has focus months that spotlight a particular issue and allow the Coalition’s focus teams to launch new programs or provide specific information . The calendar also serves as a planning tool for education and outreach campaigns .

Redesigned Insider Newsletter

The Safe Mobility for Life Insider newsletter went to print in the summer of 2021 with the first edition being distributed to over 1,600 subscribers statewide . This new format allows the Coalition to meet the needs of aging Floridians who prefer tangible reading materials to digital content . It also allows readers to sign up for the newsletter with an order form on the back page .