This page contains a Flash digital edition of a book.
disability fi tness


“DISABLED PEOPLE ARE STATISTICALLY MORE LOYAL TO BUSINESSES THAT MEET THEIR REQUIREMENTS”


GAR HOLOHAN CHAIR, AURA SPORT & LEISURE MANAGEMENT


D


isability is becoming increasingly visible within business, not as a worthy charitable cause but as a


core area of business strategy. Many businesses are creating barriers


for a huge proportion of the population to do business with them. In recent years, 82 per cent of customers with disabilities in the UK took their business to a more accessible competitor, while 58 per cent of customers with disabilities say the way they are treated affects the purchasing decisions of friends and families. Do the maths – if around 18 per cent of the population in the UK is disabled, and you multiply this by a factor of three to allow for friends and family, then over half the population are affected in some way by disability. What business can afford to lose out on such a large market sector? People with disabilities are also statistically more loyal to businesses that meet their requirements than people from other demographics. However, disability is too often


represented in terms of need, pity, incapacity, dependency and negativity. Such a mindset has contributed to the alienation, exclusion and discrimination of people with disabilities from all aspects of life, with consequent loss of business opportunities. Coupled with this negative representation, the stick approach of litigation has meant that positive lasting change and economic empowerment has been diffi cult to achieve.


When most people think about


barriers for people with disabilities, they think of the physical environment. However, the biggest barrier is only 15cm wide and it’s what lies between our ears: our attitude. People will forgive you for not having an accessible building if you show you care and are doing your best.


CRAIG SWYER PRODUCT MANAGER, TECHNOGYM UK


support education and awareness campaigns, as well as initiatives to expand nationally. The support the London 2012


T


Paralympics has received from partners such as Channel 4 and Sainsbury’s has been a huge step in the right direction, driving high levels of awareness and offering an opportunity to change perceptions about disability. Going forward, we need much


more collaboration between all parties. Technogym already attends IFI workshop meetings with all suppliers throughout the year, but a more collaborative approach – including operators, fi tness professionals, equipment providers and training providers – must focus on what we can achieve together, tackling all the challenges effectively. In terms of equipment, the move


to more functional-based products means operators can invest in kit that’s suitable for all. I recently visited Hereford Leisure Pool (Halo Leisure)


Paralympian Sophia Warner: Focus on Paralympics is driving awareness


he key to getting disabled people engaged in fi tness is investment at all levels, to


to see a great example of how functional products such as Kinesis Stations are used with disabled and GP referral clients. We now need to see a widening of the IFI-accredited product criteria to refl ect this move towards more functional and cable-based training products. However, inclusive equipment is


already available. The biggest area of challenge going forward will be securing the investment and assistance needed to support health and fi tness operators in the areas of education, training and support.


KEVIN YATES HEAD OF RETENTION AND MARKETING, LEISURE CONNECTION


fl oor, or that they only need to invest in equipment and IFI accreditation. In fact, disabled people don’t want to be treated differently – they want to feel included. With this in mind, we’ve invested considerable resources in training our personnel right across the country so they’re equipped to provide activities that disabled and able-bodied people can enjoy together. There has been a rise in awareness of adult disability in sport, but people with disabilities can often still be overlooked.


O 66 Read Health Club Management online at healthclubmanagement.co.uk/digital


perators need to stop thinking that inclusive fi tness means big yellow lines around their gym


We need to work in partnership with disabled organisations such as WheelPower, the national charity for wheelchair sport, to address ignorance among operators; it’s vital that service providers train their staff to understand and work with disabled users. At present, I believe there’s far


too much emphasis on static gym equipment. From our experience of working with more than 2,500 disabled people at the Stoke Mandeville Stadium, we understand that disabled people can use – and want to use – the same equipment as other gym users. Demands from the consumer should guide new equipment development, and it’s our responsibility as operators to work with disabled organisations such as WheelPower and the IFI to drive policy and ensure that this happens.


healthclub@leisuremedia.com kate cracknell


september 2012 © cybertrek 2012


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104  |  Page 105  |  Page 106  |  Page 107  |  Page 108  |  Page 109  |  Page 110  |  Page 111  |  Page 112  |  Page 113  |  Page 114  |  Page 115  |  Page 116  |  Page 117  |  Page 118  |  Page 119  |  Page 120  |  Page 121  |  Page 122  |  Page 123  |  Page 124  |  Page 125  |  Page 126  |  Page 127  |  Page 128  |  Page 129  |  Page 130  |  Page 131  |  Page 132  |  Page 133  |  Page 134