10 Feb 2021
Facility operator launches disability awareness training for fitness staff
BY Tom Walker
A leisure facility operator has launched an e-Learning course to improve the service that disabled customers experience at its fitness facilities.
Lex Leisure, which operates more than 30 leisure venues across England and Wales, has partnered with disability charity Activity Alliance to create the training course.
The course will be mandatory for all senior managers, duty managers and heads of departments across Lex Leisure sites – which means that more than 300 staff members will undertake the training.
Learners will cover six topics, including people's perceptions of disability, delivering inclusive customer service, legislation, effective communication techniques and practical advice for serving people with specific impairments.
The initiative is being funded by Lex Leisure and delivered in partnership by Active Alliance.
Commenting on the roll-out of the e-Learning course, Kim Arrenberg, chair of Lex Leisure, said: “We’ve already spent a lot of time with our sites to improve accessibility and inclusivity.
"This course will not only seek to build on that, but it will give staff the tools and information that they need to ensure that we're delivering a positive and engaging experience for all our visitors and that this is consistent across every Lex Leisure facility.”
Ray Ashley, Activity Alliance’s strategic lead for partnerships, added: “We all have a role to play in achieving fairness for disabled people in sport and activity and we cannot do this alone.
"Our latest Annual Survey highlights the pandemic’s true impact on disabled people’s activity levels.
"Now, more than ever, it is important to put accessibility and inclusion at the heart of reopening plans.
"This includes a more welcoming and positive experience for everyone, including disabled people.
"Our Delivering an Excellent Service for Disabled Customers’ eLearning course is a great way to improve an organisation’s confidence and competence on inclusive customer service.”
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