Development and Pilot Testing of the Disability Awareness Training and Education Program Among Community-Based Group...

Area of Science:

• Exercise Science
• Disability Studies
• Health Education

Background:

• Lack of disability awareness among fitness professionals is a significant barrier to exercise participation for individuals with disabilities.
• This gap is often linked to insufficient disability awareness training for group fitness instructors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop, implement, and evaluate a disability awareness training program specifically for group fitness instructors.
• To assess the impact of the training on instructors' attitudes towards disability and their confidence in adapting fitness classes.

Main Methods:

• A 90-minute video training and resource manual were created.
• Ten group fitness instructors participated in the training.
• Surveys and semistructured interviews were used for pre-training, post-training, and 2-month follow-up assessments.

Main Results:

• Instructors showed a significant increase in confidence to adapt fitness classes for people with disabilities.
• Disability attitudes were already high at baseline and did not change significantly post-training.
• Interviews revealed a strong need for formal disability training and provided insights into managing inclusive class dynamics.

Conclusions:

• The developed training is a feasible intervention for enhancing disability awareness and practical skills among community-based group fitness instructors.
• The study underscores the importance of structured disability awareness education to improve inclusive fitness environments.
• Further research could explore broader implementation and long-term effects on exercise participation for people with disabilities.