WELCOME
Working in the fitness industry, it’s possible – actually quite likely – that you’ll come across someone with a disability. It happens more than you might know, considering that many disabilities are ‘invisible’ or not particularly obvious in that moment. Whilst people with disabilities are not fully represented in the fitness space, there is a growing demand for inclusion in our industry with some great opportunities, as well as some considerations.
For those of us with little to no exposure or experience in disability, it can be daunting to work or provide support to someone with a disability. This can lead you to feeling overwhelmed or nervous that you’ll do something wrong. Having a client sign up to a session with you and being told ‘oh by the way they’re in a wheelchair or on the autism spectrum’ is likely to cause more panic than excitement for many personal trainers. For most fitness professionals the concern is rooted in a fear of doing something wrong, causing harm or are just intimidated by the disability label.
These are understandable considerations but shouldn’t be where the story ends. Working in disability is a growing opportunity to do good (💰) by doing good (💜). It’s also a great opportunity to grow and develop as a professional, and add more variety and meaning to your working day. Sure you can coach someone in how to perform a deadlift but… what about someone with only one arm?
Learning how to work in disability isn’t a binary metric – you don’t tick a box and now you can work with anyone. There are countless types of disabilities, across over a billion people globally, with unique experiences, perspectives and other factors. So good luck ticking that box! Instead, the goal is to become comfortable with building rapport (which you’d be doing anyway) and understanding how to manage and support people’s unique support needs. For what is disability if not a combination of support and accessibility needs?
In the video below, Tommy Trout provides some quick-fire tips to support you as you go out and provide support to all types of people.
- Person first: remember - they're much more than their disability. They are people with a disability but they're still people. Ask about their day or favourite TV shows - you'd be surprised how much you might have in common and will demonstrate to them that you see them as a whole person.
- Focus on support needs: labels belong on tins, not on people. Often the disability/diagnosis isn't instructive. A client might have Friedreich ataxia but what if you don't know what that is? Support needs are instructions on how to support that client. Ask about the support needs and seek clarity when you need to. Note: 'support needs' is a common expression in disability and is a completely appropriate thing to ask - in fact they'll probably be glad you asked!
- Communicate: communication is a two-way street (receptive and expressive AKA outgoing and incoming) and for some people they might have a hard time with one or both. Be sure to understand they're communication needs and adjust accordingly. It's your responsibility to communicate effectively, so if they struggle with receiving communication, speak clearly and slowly and if it's expressive, then listen actively and seek clarification when necessary.
- Don't speak about them in-front of them: the disability community has a saying which is 'nothing about us without us' - meaning don't talk about me without my permission. So if you're in a situation where you're talking to mum and dad or another fitness professional speak to the client and gain that client's permission to speak about them in front of them. 🎵 R-E-S-P-E-C-T 🎵
- Have fun! You're allowed to have fun and joke around with your clients. Just keep it respectful and mild-mannered in the first instance. However, don't be surprised if in time, you and a regular client with a disability strike up an amazing rapport and all the banter that goes along with it.
Reach out if you need help
Inclusive-AF has your back as you navigate being an inclusive fitness professional, and nobody expects you to be perfect or to know everything immediately. If you’re not sure – reach out to us – even if it’s just for a mini pep-talk.
Back yourself and good luck!