CEC
ARTICLE
1 OF 5
ARTICLES
EXERCISE FOR PEOPLE
WITH INTELLECTUAL
DISABILITIES
· (5 CECs)
· (5 CECs)
· (3 CECs)
·
Everyone has the right to enjoy exercise and experience the feeling of belonging
that comes from being part of a team or class, write Carol Syer and Caitlin Syer.
THE QUICK READ
• Many people with a disability have never
experienced running, riding a bike,
working out at a gym, taking part in
group fitness or playing sport
• People with intellectual disabilities face
barriers to education, social isolation,
and a constant fight for inclusion
• Fitness facilities can offer classes and
programs that provide a fun, safe
environment in which those with an
intellectual disability can be active and
experience the sense of belonging that
comes from being part of a team or
class
• Employing someone with an intellectual
disability can change your life as well as
theirs, and will also make your facility
better reflect society, making it more
appealing to others with disabilities.
I
love that feeling at the end of a
really hard run or cycle, when you
look down at your watch and
you’ve done a great personal time, or the
satisfying ache in your legs after you’ve
climbed a high mountain. For me, nothing
compares – that awesome buzz is one of my
drugs of choice. The other is the equally high
feeling I get as an instructor when I’ve just
finished teaching a group exercise class and
know by the participants’ faces and the
energy in the room that I nailed it. You’ll have
experienced the same thing. How rewarding
is it to see the positive changes in your
clients and know you were instrumental in
creating positive experiences?
Picture your life with different
abilities
But what about someone that isn’t able
to do these things. Have you ever thought
about what it must be like to never have
experienced running, riding a bike, going to
a gym, taking part in group fitness or playing
any sport? For many people with a disability
this is a reality.
Imagine how different your life would be if
you were born with a disability.
I actually don’t have to imagine too hard
because, although I have not been born
with a disability myself, throughout my life I
have experienced the challenges that such
a condition has posed for those closest to
me: my older sister, who has an intellectual
disability (ID), and my daughter, Caitlin, who
has both an ID and dyspraxia (a disorder of
movement and coordination that can affect
motor, verbal and oral skills).
How inclusive is our industry?
With over 4.3 million Australians living with
a disability, and ID being the most common
primary disability, our industry should be
doing a lot more to cater for this group of
people.
So, what would that even look like? Take
a moment to reflect on the fitness facility you
manage or work at, and ask the following
questions:
NETWORK WINTER 2019 | 33