TY - JOUR
T1 - Accessibility of health clubs for people with mobility disabilities and visual impairments
AU - Rimmer, James H.
AU - Riley, Barth
AU - Wang, Edward
AU - Rauworth, Amy
PY - 2005/11
Y1 - 2005/11
N2 - Objective. We sought to examine the accessibility of health clubs to persons with mobility disabilities and visual impairments. Methods. We assessed 35 health clubs and fitness facilities as part of a national field trial of a new instrument. Accessibility Instruments Measuring Fitness and Recreation Environments (AIMFREE), designed to assess accessibility of fitness facilities in the following domains: (1) built environment, (2) equipment, (3) swimming pools, (4) information, (5) facility policies, and (6) professional behavior. Results. All facilities had a low to moderate level of accessibility. Some of the deficiencies concerned specific Americans with Disabilities Act guidelines pertaining to the built environment, whereas other deficiency areas were related to aspects of the facilities' equipment, information, policies, and professional staff. Conclusions. Persons with mobility disabilities and visual impairments have difficulty accessing various areas of fitness facilities and health clubs. AIMFREE is an important tool for increasing awareness of these accessibility barriers for people with disabilities.
AB - Objective. We sought to examine the accessibility of health clubs to persons with mobility disabilities and visual impairments. Methods. We assessed 35 health clubs and fitness facilities as part of a national field trial of a new instrument. Accessibility Instruments Measuring Fitness and Recreation Environments (AIMFREE), designed to assess accessibility of fitness facilities in the following domains: (1) built environment, (2) equipment, (3) swimming pools, (4) information, (5) facility policies, and (6) professional behavior. Results. All facilities had a low to moderate level of accessibility. Some of the deficiencies concerned specific Americans with Disabilities Act guidelines pertaining to the built environment, whereas other deficiency areas were related to aspects of the facilities' equipment, information, policies, and professional staff. Conclusions. Persons with mobility disabilities and visual impairments have difficulty accessing various areas of fitness facilities and health clubs. AIMFREE is an important tool for increasing awareness of these accessibility barriers for people with disabilities.
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U2 - 10.2105/AJPH.2004.051870
DO - 10.2105/AJPH.2004.051870
M3 - Article
C2 - 16254234
AN - SCOPUS:27644481941
VL - 95
SP - 2022
EP - 2028
JO - American Journal of Public Health
JF - American Journal of Public Health
SN - 0090-0036
IS - 11
ER -