How to Improve Accessibility in Your Fitness Center

Imagine navigating a world that wasn’t designed with you in mind. Picture everything being the wrong size: clothes that don’t fit, light switches set too high, sinks and water fountains just out of reach. Everywhere you go, there’s another obstacle. Maybe the elevator’s out of order, the bus has already left, your ride is too far away or the bathroom stall isn’t working.  

Now, imagine facing these challenges every single day.

Living with a disability often means encountering an environment and services that rarely take your needs into account. With everything from sinks and water fountains to buses and restrooms often inaccessible, individuals with disabilities are continually confronted by barriers in both spaces and programs. 

These issues are particularly noticeable in fitness centers. Rather than removing obstacles, many gyms add to them, both physically and through attitudes. Most fitness facilities aren’t very inviting for people who use mobility devices. Raised front desks, tightly packed lower-body cardio machines, a lack of upper-body equipment and inaccessible locker rooms, restrooms and classrooms all combine to create an unwelcoming atmosphere. Ask yourself, if a person using a wheelchair or who is blind came into your gym today, would you know how to accommodate them? Would your staff? 

Two years ago, right before the summer Paralympics, Lakeshore Foundation wrote a six-part series on making fitness spaces accessible for clients with disabilities:

Now, with the Winter Paralympic Games in Milan/Cortina in the rearview mirror, it’s time to ask: what progress has been made—not broadly, but specifically in your facility? Have you put any strategies into practice or improved access at your gym?

Some might argue that “change takes time,” and that’s certainly true, but after 16 years married to someone who uses a wheelchair, 25 years working in accessibility and 36 years since the Americans with Disabilities Act became law, I’ve seen little real progress. So, how do we move forward and “build that ramp”? How can we start making meaningful change right now?

Here are five key steps to improve accessibility and attitudes in your fitness facility:

1. Remove physical barriers. Go beyond basic requirements to apply universal design. Make pathways clear, lower the reception desk, and ensure all areas like showers and changing rooms are accessible.
2. Offer free trial visits. Whether your gym has lots of accessible equipment or not, invite people with disabilities to try your space and share their feedback.
3. Provide options. Offer a range of inclusive and adapted classes—an inclusive class includes people with and without disabilities, while an adapted class is one that has been adapted for people with disabilities (e.g., wheelchair basketball). Also, memberships should reflect access. If someone can’t use certain amenities, they shouldn’t pay full price. Share information in multiple formats, from large-print handouts to accessible websites, so everyone knows what your facility provides.
4. Train your staff. Make disability education part of training for every employee, from the front desk to lifeguards and trainers. You can also provide specialized fitness certifications related to disabilities.
5. Demonstrate diversity. Commit to hiring people with disabilities. Include inclusive language and imagery in at least one-quarter of your marketing and outreach efforts. Make sure your facility feels welcoming and inclusive to all through the images and words you use.

Lakeshore Consulting Services

If this has spurred you into action but you just don’t know where to start, there are plenty of ways to get moving. Go back and check out the blog series on accessibility in fitness centers—the links are provided above. Each one includes a list of resources for that area. If you still need help and are ready to implement real change, you can check out Lakeshore’s consulting services and learn about our 4D innovation process that moves from discovery to delivery. You can take the guess work out of where to start and how to become a fully inclusive fitness center.