IHRSA is partnering with the European Commission in a new project – European Fitness Inclusion Training for Work (E-FIT-W) – which will help operators develop the skills needed to work with people with disabilities.

The project is being led by the UNESCO chair in inclusive PE, sport, fitness and recreation and will run for two years from November 2013, with the European Commission investing over €365,000. The project will culminate in a resource pack launch and final conference in October 2015.

Other partners in the project include REPS UK, EOSE, Palacky University (Czech Republic) and the Polytechnic University of Madrid (Spain).

The project will embed inclusive fitness professional training within the fitness club environment, in a sector skills alliance involving trainers, trainees, employers and people with disabilities.

Justification for the project stems from the fact that people with disabilities are three times less likely to be physically active and twice as likely to be obese compared to the able-bodied population, with many fitness centre managers and instructors not confident working with people with disabilities.

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