Leisure Connection launches disability inclusion policy

Leisure Connection has launched a disability inclusion policy as part of its commitment to customers and team members with disabilities.

The sport and leisure management company’s disability inclusion manager, Neil Ross, is behind the policy and has developed a countrywide disability awareness training programme to support it.

The scheme is designed to provide staff with the skills they need to communicate with disabled members, said Ross: “It’s about making disabled people feel welcomed and not making assumptions.”

The company has already implemented a number of working practices to assist the disabled community in accessing its services and facilities, including the introduction of Typetalk, the textphone service developed by the deaf charity RNID in conjunction with BT.

As part of its new policy, Leisure Connection plans to employ more disabled people in all areas of the business and will consult with disabled employees and user groups on a yearly basis to ensure they are getting the same opportunities as everyone else.

Positive images of disabled people will be used in material and each site will also have a member of staff directly responsible for disability issues.

“As a disabled person, I want the company to provide the best possible service to those with disabilities, but apart from being a legal requirement, I can see this makes good business sense,” said Ross.

“According to the Inclusive Fitness Initiative, disabled people are more likely to use a gym than non-disabled people. Disability inclusion is ethically and morally the right thing to do. It’s not an option, it is an obligation.”