Accessibility of Fitness Facilities and Physical Activity Participation: A Comparison of Disabled Athletes and Disabled People
Keywords:
Accessibility, Fitness Facility, Physical Activity, Disabled People, Disabled AthleteAbstract
Accessibility is one of the most important aspects of the open environment, as it provides a sense of
freedom, competence, and autonomy for active involvement and use. However, there is still a question
about the accessibility given at sports and fitness facilities, particularly for disabled individuals, which
has a negative impact on their involvement in physical activity. The purpose of this study was to
investigate an association between the accessibility of fitness facilities and the engagement of impaired
people and athletes in physical exercise. The participants in this study were divided into two groups:
disabled persons (N=50) and disabled athletes (N=50), totalling 100 people with disabilities. The
Accessibility Instrument Measuring Fitness and Recreation Environments (AIMFREE) and the Physical
Activity Scale for Individuals with Physical Disabilities (PASID) were used to evaluate accessibility
and physical participation (PASIPD). The Independent Sample t-test was used to examine the outcome.
The findings revealed a significant relationship between fitness facility accessibility and physical
activity involvement (p0.01, r=0.356**) and a significant difference in physical activity participation
between disabled persons and disabled athletes (p<0.05). The findings demonstrated that the
accessibility of fitness facilities has an impact on the amount of physical activity engagement and that
disabled athletes are more attached to physical activity than disabled persons. The research might be
broadened to learn more about the factors that influence disparities in physical activity engagement
among impaired athletes and disabled persons
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Copyright (c) 2025 Ellail Ain Mohd Aznan, Ahmad Dzulkarnain Ismail, Ahmad Fikri Mohd Kassim, Mohd Khairulanwar Md Yusof, Hajar Asmidar Samat
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