The IFI has developed a testing protocol to assess the appropriateness of equipment for inclusive use, evidenced by the awarding of ‘IFI Accreditation’. The protocol consists of four main elements:
- Practical test assessment by users, including those with physical impairments, visual impairment, hearing impairment, learning disability, health and mental health conditions as well as non-disabled gym users.
- Assessment of user feedback from the practical test
- Practical test assessment by IFI Equipment Panel member(s). The IFI Equipment Panel brings together experts from a number of fields to ensure that the views of all stakeholders in the fitness environment are considered including: suppliers and manufacturers, fitness professionals, users, service providers, designers and EN957 safety standards.
- Desktop assessment of the equipment against the relevant Parts of the IFI Equipment Standards.
One of the key features of the IFI accreditation process has been to position disabled people at the centre of the testing and assessment process. The IFI has hosted ten testing sessions to date over a five-year period and worked with over 120 experienced testers, each with different impairments and needs, who give both qualitative and quantitative feedback on the equipment. Questionnaires, adapted to ensure that users views are recorded regardless of impairment, utilises a six point (0-5) scale for scoring design issues such as ease of access/egress, comfort, adjustability, programming, range of movement and range of resistance. Suppliers are present on the test days to witness the assessment.
Following the test sessions, the IFI Equipment Panel of experts considers the tester feedback and is responsible for verifying the interpretation, applicability and compliance of each item of equipment submitted with each relevant Part of the IFI Equipment Standard. Suppliers then receive feedback from the IFI about the changes needed to bring the equipment up to meet the Standard and solve the challenges in an informed way. Those suppliers who make and evidence the appropriate changes subsequently receive IFI Accreditation.
Now, thanks to the IFI programme, over 20 manufacturers, distributors and suppliers have one or more items of fitness equipment accredited as offering benefits to disabled people. Over 150 different pieces of equipment had attained IFI Accreditation at the end of April 2006 against the IFI Equipment Standards - Stage One. The current list of IFI Accredited equipment can be accessed at any time from the IFI website at www.inclusivefitness.org/inclusive-fitness-initiative/inclusive-fitness-equipment/accredited-equipment/.
IFI Accreditation is now actively sought by suppliers and demanded by purchasers throughout the UK and has become an industry norm. It is currently estimated that 90% of all fitness equipment tenders issued by local authority facilities in the UK state a requirement for IFI Accredited equipment in their specification, with more and more private sector operators also demanding this accreditation. Most importantly however, disabled people are demonstrating their endorsement of the equipment by choosing and using IFI facilities, representing over 12% of all new inductions and 7% of all visits at these fitness suites.
If you are interested in being an equipment tester at one of the IFI Accreditation sessions please contact the IFI office for further details.
