Abstract:
Exercise is an important part in maintaining a healthy lifestyle, yet many Americans with
disabilities find that going to a gym may be more difficult than necessary due to several barriers.
These barriers can be overcome by making improvements to the physical building and by
training staff members to be able to assist people with various types of limitations. Tools such as
the ADA Existing Facilities Checklist and AIMFREE can help gym owners increase the
accessibility of their facilities. Making sure to continue expand and improve facilities will
require that gym owners annually review their policies, procedures, and buildings. This paper
provides information on disabilities and barriers to inclusion, how to overcome some of these
barriers, and gives a checklist that will help facility owners begin to evaluate their own buildings
and environments.
