Using a Fitness Center Does Not Have to be an Exercise in Frustration: Tips for People with Mobility and Visual Disabilities

1.1 Recognizing the Barriers

Past frustrations should not stop you from using a fitness center. Yes, there are barriers, but there are also solutions. Some of the common barriers experienced by people with disabilities ^1,2 include:

• The fitness facility is not physically accessible

• The facility’s equipment and group classes are not accessible or not usable

• The staff does not have education and training about disability or accessibility issues

• The staff and some members have negative attitudes about people with disabilities

Some of the facility’s policies and procedures discriminate against people with disabilities

Have you experienced any of these problems? How can you deal with these barriers and make using a fitness center easier? How can you get fitness centers to make changes?

Managers and owners of fitness centers are beginning to realize that in order to stay in business they can’t appeal only to those who are young, thin, fit, and who have no activity limitations. More diverse groups of “real” people are using fitness centers, including older adults, obese people and others who have never before exercised. This changing user group and customer-base is beginning to make fitness centers offer a more welcoming environment for people with disabilities. But many owners and operators of fitness centers are still not aware of the barriers that make using their facilities difficult for people with activity limitations. They are not yet designing their centers to provide equipment and features that are usable by people with a wide range of abilities and needs.