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

2.1 What to Ask During Your First Visit

• Take a tour of the facility and see if there are any barriers that will make it harder or impossible for you to do the exercise you want to do. If you see problems, tell the person who is taking you around and see if they have solutions already.

• If the cost to join is too high for you, ask whether the center offers scholarships, sliding fee scales based on income, or other assistance programs. (You will be more likely to find such policies at YMCA’s or other public community fitness centers such as park and recreation programs.) 

• Ask whether the facility will let you bring a companion to assist you at no additional cost.

• Ask for a guest pass for a small daily fee or no cost so you can try-out the facility for a few days.

• The center should not require anything special from you because of your disability that they do not require of every member. For example, they cannot make you get a doctor’s permission to be there.