Why invest time, money and effort in making facilities accessible for disabled people, when many service providers don’t then proactively seek to attract disabled people to participate in their service?
It is important to acknowledge that the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and 2005 extend to cover all aspects of an organisation’s service provision, which includes the way in which it communicates with either its existing or prospective customers.
In the case of the fitness industry, we have a job to do. We have the added challenge of promoting what is widely perceived as an ‘exclusive’ industry to people who may not believe that they are welcome in that environment, or that the service they receive there will be good enough. Fitness however, really does have a lot to offer in terms of inclusive provision. With the right environment, right equipment and staff with the right knowledge and attitude, it is a physical activity that can be delivered in a truly inclusive fashion. It is also an activity that can have a very significant impact upon the lives of a large number of disabled people.
Additionally there is a business argument to marketing a facility in an inclusive fashion. The disability market holds and annual spending power in the region of £80billion, yet many service providers make little or no proactive effort to engage with this market sector.
The IFI advocates an approach to marketing that considers both how marketing activities currently employed can be made more inclusive and also what specific interventions need to be applied in order to break down the barriers that the industry itself has created. The fitness industry must understand that is not inherent apprehensions that prevent disabled people from visiting gyms, but more the creation of an image that appeals only to a confident minority. If the fitness industry is to truly appeal to all sectors of the community then this image must be challenged and a fresh, inclusive approach adopted.
