According to Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), all fitness centers open to the public must be accessible. On July 16th, 2003, Dr. Bradley J. Cardinal hosted a web cast titled, "Are Health and Fitness Clubs ADA Compliant?" This web cast reported on the rates of compliance of fitness facilities in Western Oregon and Kansas City and included questions and discussion regarding current legislation and ways to advocate for change.

The study performed by Dr. Cardinal and his colleagues focused on ten structural domains, including customer service desk area, around equipment, drinking fountains, telephones, rest rooms/locker rooms, elevators, path of travel, exterior doors, ramps, and parking. According to the results of the study, no facility was 100% compliant. These issues of non-compliance are important to consider, particularly in the face of the new guidelines published by the U.S. Access Board pertaining to fitness and recreation facilities (http://www.ncpad.org/664/2775/2003-08-01).

The complete web cast is archived and can be viewed online at http://www.ncpad.org/664/2775/2003-08-01. It is based on an article by Dr. Cardinal titled "Fitness for All: Is your club ADA compliant?" in the May, 2003 issue of Club Industry.