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Congressional Democrats Push for Federal Policies to Mandate Accessible Gyms and Fitness Centers for Americans with Disabilities
Congressional Democrats are pushing for federal policies that would mandate gyms and fitness centers in the US to be accessible for Americans with disabilities. Rep. Mark DeSaulnier, D-Calif., introduced a bill to promote the provision of exercise machines and equipment, as well as exercise and fitness classes and instruction, that are accessible to individuals with disabilities. This bill is a companion bill to the “Exercise and Fitness For All Act” introduced in the upper chamber by Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., earlier this year.
The legislation would direct the US Access Board, a federal agency regulating accessibility for people with disabilities, to create new rules for fitness facilities across the country. It would mandate that exercise or fitness instruction offered by the provider is accessible to individuals with disabilities, and that at least one employee trained in working with people with disabilities is on the clock during all operating hours.
If implemented, this would be a significant step forward for accessibility advocates in the US and a significant change for potentially hundreds of US businesses. Duckworth, a retired lieutenant colonel who lost both her legs in a 2004 rocket-propelled grenade attack in Iraq, said part of her inspiration for the bill came from her own struggles to find adequate gym equipment.
The bill would be a significant step forward for accessibility activists and a potentially major change for gym businesses across the country. DeSaulnier was part of a prior push in the 117th Congress to introduce the bill, alongside late Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska. “Far too many Americans are still excluded from basic access to exercise equipment and fitness classes due to outdated equipment and services, inaccessible to individuals with disabilities. It is unacceptable that these barriers still exist that make it more difficult for individuals with disabilities to get the exercise they need to live healthy lives,” DeSaulnier said.
