ADA Compliant Fitness Facilities
Typical Exercise Equipment in a Fitness Facility
Fitness facilities must be compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Standards. This article will discuss the scoping and technical requirements for fitness facilities. The graphic on the right is representative of exercise equipment in a fitness facility. The ADA laws that apply to Fitness facilities can also be applied to:
Health Clubs
Gyms
Fitness clubs
Personal training studios
Employee fitness facilities
Fitness facilities connected with a hotels/motels, resorts, airports, and spas
Local recreation centers
Physical therapy entities
YMCAs
Fitness clubs are very important to individuals with disabilities. The ability to exercise and maintain their functional muscle groups can be critical to good physical and mental health for disabled individuals. For instance, an individual who is a paraplegic (paralyzed from the waste down) must maintain their upper body strength in order to compensate for the lower body disability.
Fitness facilities have elements and features that are common to many facilities including the following:
Site arrival points, exterior parking, and exterior routes
Operable parts
Exterior pedestrian entrances
Interior doors
Interior circulation paths and routes
Toilet and bathing rooms
Dressing, fitting and locker rooms
Dining areas
Retail spaces
Counters
Employee work spaces
Other areas and elements are unique to fitness facilities such as:
Areas of sports activity
Swimming pools
Exercise machines and equipment
These elements and features have requirements for ADA compliance that will be discussed below. The 2010 ADA Standard(s) that apply the most to these elements and features will be shown in parentheses.
Site arrival points, exterior parking, and exterior routes (Std 206.2.1)
Accessible exterior routes from the site arrival points into the facility must be accessible. Additional information is available at Accessible Walking Surfaces, Accessible Routes, and ADA Compliant Vehicle Parking. The graphic below is representative of exterior routes from site arrival points to the facility entrances.
Site Arrival Points and Exterior Routes
Operable parts (Stds 205 and 309)
Operable parts on fixed elements at a fitness facility must comply with the ADA Standards for location and functionality, but not for exercise equipment. 2010 ADA Standard 205.1, exception 8, Operable Parts, states, “Exercise machines and exercise equipment shall not be required to comply with [Standard] 309.” Standard 309 applies to operable parts. Also, exercise equipment does not have to be modified to comply with ADA Standards. More on this later. All other operable parts in the facility must comply with the ADA Standards.
Exterior entrances
Exterior entrances at fitness facilities must comply with the ADA Standards. Additional information regarding accessible exterior entrances is available at Accessible Exterior Entrances. The graphic below is representative.
Accessible Exterior Entrance
Interior doors (Stds 206.5 and 404)
Most interior pedestrian doors must comply with the ADA Standards. Additional information is available at Manual Doors and the ADA. The graphic below is representative.
ADA Compliant Door Installation Requirements
Interior circulation paths and routes (Stds 206, 307, 402)
Interior circulation paths and routes must be compliant with the ADA Standards for width, slope, surface conditions, and protruding objects. Additional information is available at Circulation Paths and Primary Function Areas and Protruding Objects. The graphic below is representative of the ADA Standards for protruding objects.
Toilet and bathing rooms (Stds 213, 603, 805, 806)
With few exceptions, almost all toilet and bathing rooms must comply with the ADA Standards. Only clustered single-user toilet or bathing rooms or portable toilet or bathing rooms do not have to comply fully with the ADA Standards. Clustered toilet and bathing rooms are typically also unisex. Otherwise, all single-user, multi-user, Men’s, Women’s, and Unisex toilet and bathing rooms must comply. Additional information is available at Toilet and Bathing Rooms and the ADA. The graphic below is representative of a multi-user toilet and bathing room.
Multi-User Toilet and Bathing Room
Dressing, fitting and locker rooms (Stds 222 and 803)
Dressing, fitting and locker rooms can be located in different areas of a fitness facility including bathing rooms, locker rooms, or in retail stores. At least 5% but no less than one dressing, fitting and locker room in each area of the facility must be compliant with ADA Standards. The graphic below is representative of a dressing or fitting room with an assistant.
Dressing Room with an Assistant
Dining areas (Stds 226 and 902)
Some fitness facilities have dining areas with table, booth, or bar seating available. These areas will have requirements for routes to the dining surfaces and required number of dining surfaces. Additional information is available at Dining Surfaces and the ADA. The graphic below is representative of an accessible dining surface and the clear space required for seating.
Retail spaces (Std 402)
Retail spaces in fitness facilities must comply with the ADA Standards for an accessible route within the retail space as well as dressing rooms as discussed above. The graphic below is representative of a route through the displays in a retail store.
Retail Store Route Requirements
Counters (Stds 227 and 904)
Sales and service counters are common in fitness facilities. A portion of each type of sales and service counter should be accessible. Additional information is available at Counters Covered Under the ADA. The graphic below is representative.
Sales Counter with Forward Approach
Employee work areas (Std 203.9, 206.2.8, 215.3)
Employee work areas are not that common in fitness facilities but can be located in a kitchen for the dining area or the side of the counters for employees only. Employee work areas include all or any portion of a space used only by employees and used only for work. Corridors, toilet rooms, kitchenettes and break rooms are not employee work areas. Employee work areas have limited requirements for compliance with the ADA. Additional information is available at Employee Work Area and the ADA.
Area of Sport Activity (206.2.2, 302.1)
An area of sport activity is defined as that portion of a room or space where the play or practice of a sport occurs. The photo below is representative of a basketball court area of sport activity. Areas of sport activity must comply with the ADA Standards except that these areas do not have to comply with the surface requirements for firm, stable, and slip resistant. An accessible route must be available to each area of sport activity. Additional information can be found at Areas of Sport Activity.
Basketball Court Area of Sport Activity
Swimming Pools (Stds 242 and 1009)
Pool Lift Device
Swimming pools at fitness facilities and other locations open to the public must comply with the ADA Standards. These Standards depend somewhat on the size of the pool. In almost all cases, either a lift device or accessible ramp must be available for entry/exit at the pool. The photo on the right is representative of a lift device. Additional information about pools is available at Accessible Pool Features.
Exercise Machines and Equipment (205.1, 206.2.13, 236, 1004)
The 2010 ADA Standards cover exercise machines and equipment in Title II and Title III facilities only. These ADA Standards do not apply to a private club such as one owned and operated by a Homeowner Association (HOA) for residents and their guests only. If the facility allowed the public in, then the ADA Standards would apply because the facility would be considered Title III.
As was discussed above under Operable Parts, 2010 ADA Standard 205.1, exception 8, Operable Parts, states, “Exercise machines and exercise equipment shall not be required to comply with [Standard] 309.” Standard 309 provides requirements for operable parts. So according to the ADA Standards, the parts of exercise machines and equipment that users have to touch or grab do not have to be accessible. This puts the disabled community at a disadvantage.
2010 ADA Standard 236.1 [Exercise Machines and Equipment] General, states, “At least one of each type of exercise machine and equipment shall comply with [Standard] 1004.” This Standard applies to indoor and outdoor fixed exercise equipment.
Advisory 236.1 [Exercise Machines and Equipment] General, states, “Most strength training equipment and machines are considered different types. Where operators provide a biceps curl machine and cable-cross-over machine, both machines are required to meet the provisions in this section, even though an individual may be able to work on their biceps through both types of equipment. Similarly, there are many types of cardiovascular exercise machines, such as stationary bicycles, rowing machines, stair climbers, and treadmills. Each machine provides a cardiovascular exercise and is considered a different type for purposes of these requirements.”
2010 ADA Standard 206.2.13, [Accessible Routes, Where Required] Exercise Machines and Equipment, states, “Exercise machines and equipment required to comply with [Standard] 236 shall be on an accessible route.” The graphic below is representative of exercise machines and equipment on an accessible route.
Accessible Route and Clear Floor Spaces in an Exercise Area
2010 ADA Standard 1004.1, [Exercise Machines and Equipment] Clear Floor Space, states, “Exercise machines and equipment shall have a clear floor space complying with [Standard] 305 positioned for transfer or for use by an individual seated in a wheelchair. Clear floor or ground spaces required at exercise machines and equipment shall be permitted to overlap.” Also, clear floor spaces for exercise equipment can be shared by more than one type of equipment. The graphic above is representative of clear floor spaces in an exercise area.
Because exercise equipment can share a clear space, designers should carefully consider layout options such as connecting ends of the row and center aisle spaces. The position of the clear floor space may vary greatly depending on the use of the equipment or machine. For example, to provide access to a shoulder press machine, clear floor space next to the seat would be appropriate to allow for transfer. Clear floor space for a bench press machine designed for use by an individual seated in a wheelchair, however, will most likely be centered on the operating mechanisms. The photo above is a press machine with wheelchair access.
Inclusive Fitness Standards for Fitness Equipment
The 2010 ADA Standards do not specify design requirements for exercise machines and equipment but, other sources of design recommendations are available. ASTM F2276 - 10 (2015), Standard Specification for Fitness Equipment, has been developed to address this issue, as well as guides for some specific equipment. Also, Recreation Technologies has developed Inclusive Fitness Standards for fitness equipment through the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research grant #90RE5009-01-00. This Standard is referred to as RESNA Standards Committee on Inclusive Fitness (IF).
Common fitness equipment designs that frustrate disabled people include the following:
The handrail on some treadmills is too large to grasp completely with a hand. The below below is representative.
Treadmill Handrail is Not Graspable
A graspable handrail would satisfy the requirements of a stair handrail and look more like the photo below.
Graspable Handrail on a Treadmill
Treadmill walking surface heights are often too high for disabled individuals to make the step up. The photo shows a lower treadmill on the left and a too-high treadmill surface on the right.
Treadmill Surface is Low Treadmill Surface Height is too High
Some fitness equipment have the graspable component too high above the finished floor making it difficult to operate the equipment independently. The photo below is a chest pull where the bar is mounted more than 48 inches above the finished floor.
Chest Pull Handle Mounted More than 48 Inches Above the Finished Floor
Fitness machines that use pedals sometimes do not have straps or rear heel supports to keep the feet in contact with the pedal, allowing the foot to slip off the pedal. The photo below is representative.
Stationary Bike Pedal without Straps or Heel Support
Fitness machines with pedals, such as stationary bikes, should have straps to hold the front of the foot in place and heel supports in the rear of the pedal to prevent the foot from slipping off the pedal. See the graphic below.
Bike Pedal with Front Strap and Rear Heel Support
It is common knowledge that there are not many options for disabled individuals living in a wheelchair to have a cardiovascular workout on aerobic equipment. The graphic below is representative.
Limited Aerobic Workout Equipment for Individuals in Wheelchairs
In too many fitness facilities equipment is placed too close to other equipment or the route within the space which blocks the clear spaces required or the route. The photo below is representative.
Fitness Equipment Spaced Too Close Together for Disability Access
Future efforts to address these issue will include fitness equipment scoping to:
Specify the minimum of each type of IF equipment
Require one wheelchair-accessible aerobic piece of equipment
Require equipment validity/usability testing
Require IF equipment 3rd-party certification
Require mandatory training of staff/trainers to increase knowledge of disabilities and accessibility