Inclusion of people with disabilities into everyday activities involves practices and policies designed to identify and remove barriers such as physical, communication and attitudinal that hinder individuals’ ability to have full participation in society. Inclusion involves:

• Fair and non-discriminatory treatment from others
• Making products, communication, and physical environments more usable by as many people as possible
• Reasonable accommodations—modifying items, procedures and/or systems to enable a person with disability to use them to the fullest extent possible
• Eliminating stigmas and stereotypes surrounding individuals with adaptive requirements

Fitness centers can incorporate inclusive fitness into their gyms and communities by implementing simple, low-cost, and effective strategies such as:

• Opting for products that utilize Universal Design principles
• Creating and maintaining Accessibility and Reasonable Accommodations protocols
• Utilizing assistive technology and adaptive training courses
• Promoting integrated daily programming through modifiable exercises

Universal Design

Universal Design refers to a set of guidelines ensuring all products, communications, and physical environments are as simple as possible to make them more usable by as many people as possible at little or no extra cost. Universal design benefits both clients and business owners by reducing unnecessary complexities in fitness gyms. According to the Center for Universal Design at North Carolina State University, there are seven principles for universal design:

• Equitable Use: The design is useful and marketable to people with diverse abilities (example: auto-sensing door openers)
• Flexibility in Use: the design accommodates a wide range of individual preferences and abilities (example: audio and visual enhancements for people with low-vision or low-hearing)
• Simple and Intuitive Use: The design is easy to understand regardless of user experience, knowledge, language skills or concentration level (example: instruction manuals with clear drawings and no text)
• Perceptible Information: The design communicates necessary information effectively regardless of person’s ability to read, see, or hear
• Tolerance for Error: The design minimizes hazards and the harmful consequences of accidental or unintended actions (example: ground-fault interrupters for electrical outlets)
• Low Physical Effort: The design can be used efficiently and comfortably with minimum fatigue (example: easy to use handles that make doors easier for people to open)
• Size and Space For Approach and Use: Appropriate size and space is provided for approach, reach, manipulation and use regardless of person’s ability (example: curb cuts or sidewalk ramps)

Reasonable Accommodation and Accessibility

“Accessibility is when the needs of people with disabilities are specifically considered, and products, services, and facilities are built or modified so that they can be used by people of all abilities.” – CDC

Examples of Accessibility pertaining to fitness gyms include:

• Parking spaces close to the entrances
• Floor spaces and hallways have minimal obstructions
• Staff member(s) are trained in adaptive athletics, sign language, etc Reasonable accommodations are alterations of existing procedures or systems that enable people with disabilities to be included to the fullest extent. An accommodation can also include a modification to an existing environment or daily programming routine to increase the participation by an individual with an impairment or activity limitation.

An easy way to get started with reasonable accommodations is to start add tried-and-true methods of communication for persons with difficulty seeing or hearing. Braille, large print, and audio books are examples of effective accommodations fitness centers can use implement for people who are blind or have severe visual limitations. American Sign Language (ASL) is an effective and popular skill for communicating with individuals with hearing loss.

Assistive Technology and Adaptive Training Courses

Assistive technologies enhance functional independence and make daily living tasks easier through the use of aids that help a person participate in social and recreational activities. Fitness centers will be well prepared to generate new clients and better serve people with adaptive needs by incorporating some of these essential modifications to their existing gym equipment:

• Adaptable handles for bikes, ski ergs, rowers and jump ropes
• Audible instructions and performance feedback on cardio machines
• Inclusive strength machines that allows a person to perform multiple exercises from a seated position
• Adaptive training courses offer highly-specialized training programs designed to equip fitness professionals with fundamental skills needed to serve people with adaptive requirements. Adaptive fitness specialists are certified personal trainers who know how to activate muscles and nerves to help address physical challenges. Having a training adaptive fitness specialist in your fitness community is essential to fostering inclusion and diversity amongst members of the gym with adaptive needs.

Eliminating Stigmas and Stereotypes

In a 2021 article published by the National Library of Medicine, researchers conducted a study to understand the perceived barriers (and facilitators) of adults with and without disabilities to joining a fitness community. Six categories of contextual factors were analyzed:

• The fitness center setting
• The fitness center user characteristics
• The fitness instructor/staff characteristics
• The fitness center user-instructor/management relationship
• The fitness/exercise characteristics
• Interpersonal relationships with existing members Both groups (adults with disabilities and adults without) had similar results in categories 3-6, as both groups preferred skilled instructors, a welcoming and comfortable fitness environment, an ability to exercise at their preferred type and level, and good social connections.

However, adults with disabilities perception of fitness centers as inaccessible caused a difference in categories 1 and 2. In this sense, gym owners should not only promote an inclusive and welcoming community amongst existing members but also strive for eliminating perceived barriers to entry to the fitness center environment. Community outreach, educational talks and acquiring feedback from people with disabilities are excellent methods of breaking down stigmas associated with non-inclusivity amongst fitness centers.