Sports Clubs for the Disable: Room for Improvement

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Living with disability is hard enough. Living with disability and searching for a health club that is friendly to them in the United States is even harder. Since the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, most major public places already have in its planning accessibility requirements so that blind, deaf, and wheelchair-bound patrons can enter and exit. Health clubs that do not violate the act are hard to find because of the mindset that people with disability do not want to visit their premise and do not want to work out. However, this may change with tighter regulations and enforcement by the Department of Justice.

Disabled sports clubs differ from normal gyms in many ways besides access. Spacing requirements are redefined so that clients in wheelchairs can still lift weights. Equipment also needs to take ease of use and safety into account. For example, people in wheelchair would need larger seats should they want to participate in any strength-training circuit. Seats need to swing out to make it easier for clients to lift themselves from the wheelchair onto the machines. Grips and handles should be placed at reachable levels for clients who are seated. People who are blind may require Braille stickers on machines so they can read the panels and make the required adjustments. Television sets display captions for the deaf. Even swimming pools are redesigned to make it more accessible and user-friendly. These have wheelchair lifts, and mechanical floors that rise to ground level before lowering deep into the water again to allow users access.

In other parts of the world such as Europe, there are a number of sports clubs that are tailored specifically to the physically disabled. These sports clubs not only have specialized equipment, but also trainers and instructors who are in-tune with rehabilitation and physical disability needs to help their clientele remain healthy and stay fit. On this front, Europe is ahead of the United States. There are many more specialized sports clubs that service those who are physically challenged. A much wider array of activities is also available for their members. Basketball leagues, ping pong tournaments, archery competitions, bowling tournaments, and a host of other sports are available to keep many disabled people engaged and active.

While the education and awareness for people with disability have certainly increased in recent years, an examination of other countries show that there is room for improvement.