Designing for All: A Comparison of Usability and User Experience in an Adapted Gym and a Conventional Gym

Abstract

Despite the development of accessibility guidelines for fitness and recreational facilities, people with a disability continue to encounter a multitude of environmental barriers that can hinder their engagement in physical activity. This may indicate a need for design processes that extend beyond compliance with objective accessibility guidelines to encompass subjective elements of usability and user experience across diverse individuals. Universal design is intended to leverage accessibility, usability and user experience to produce functionally inclusive environments. However, there is a lack of empirical evidence supporting universal design in gym settings. This study implemented universal design practices to adapt a gym, then compared diverse participants’ perceptions of usability and user experience in the adapted gym to a conventional (unmodified) gym. Participants (N = 39) were asked to perform five tasks in each gym, after which time to complete was recorded and a series of usability and user experience questionnaires were administered. Results of Wilcoxon signed rank tests, paired samples t-tests, and descriptive statistics indicated that the adapted gym, generally, yielded faster completion times, increased usability, and better user experience across participants. Thus, there was empirical evidence to suggest that universal design produced a gym that was functionally inclusive for participants with and without a disability. Gyms that provide diverse users with efficient, effective, and autonomous experiences may be critical for affording all people with the opportunity to engage in accessible, equitable, and inclusive exercise.