Conference on Exercise and Recreational Technologies

The inaugural Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center RecTech State of the Science Conference will be held May 30-31, 2006, in Denver, CO, at the Hyatt Regency Denver. The goal of this conference is to bring together the most current research, developments, equipment, and applications in exercise and recreation technology for people with disabilities.

Presentation topics include virtual exercise environments, robotics, tele-exercise, new equipment design and innovation, measurement and assessment technology, and accessibility and the environment.

Online registration is now available at http://www.rectech.org/conference.

Are Health Clubs Accessible?

Rimmer, J. H., Riley, B., Wang, E., & Rauworth, A. E. (2005). Accessibility of health clubs for people with mobility disabilities and visual impairments. American Journal of Public Health, 95(11), 2022-2028.

Investigators examined the accessibility of health clubs for persons with mobility disabilities and visual impairments. Thirty-five health clubs and fitness facilities were tested in a national field trial using a new instrument, Accessibility Instruments Measuring Fitness and Recreation Environments (AIMFREE), for measuring the 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.

All facilities demonstrated low to moderate levels of accessibility. While some of the deficiencies concerned specific Americans with Disabilities Act guidelines pertaining to the built environment, others were related to aspects of the facilities’ equipment, information, policies, and professional staff.