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CORVALLIS - A newly published Oregon State University study of 50 fitness clubs in western Oregon found that none of them were fully compliant with accessibility guidelines outlined by the Americans with Disabilities Act.

While most of the clubs had a welcoming exterior - with compliant ramps and wide doors - only 8 percent of the facilities offered adequate accessibility to the exercise equipment.

"It is ironic that the very reason persons with disabilities might seek access to a fitness clubs - to work out - turns out to be the least welcoming in terms of ADA compliance," said Bradley J. Cardinal, an associate professor of exercise and sport science at OSU.

Results of the study were published this week in the January/February issue of the American Journal of Health Promotion.

Most of the fitness club owners were unaware that their facilities didn't fully comply with ADA standards and many were willing to make necessary changes - within reason, said Marc D. Spaziani, an OSU graduate student and co-author of the study.

"Some of the areas of non-compliance were simple to address," Spaziani said. "The mats in the weight room had a high edge, garbage cans needed to be moved from in front of the drinking fountains, or the phones were placed high to be out of reach of kids but could not be accessed by someone in a wheelchair.

"But many of the problems related more to a lack of space," he added. "A club will add new weight equipment or cardio machines and cram them into existing space - and suddenly there's no room to maneuver anymore."

Creating more space, by adding on or remodeling, is too expensive for most of the small business owners to undertake, the researchers say.

"Most of the people I talked to were quite willing to change what they could," Spaziani said, "but several backed away at the idea of expanding the facility because 25 percent of the funds would have to go into ADA upgrades they say they can't afford."

Although none of the Oregon clubs surveyed fully met ADA guidelines, the researchers say, many were close. And the Oregon clubs fared better overall than did clubs in Kansas surveyed in a previous study by other researchers.

"There is room for improvement, but most of the fitness club directors welcomed us and were interested in the study," Spaziani said. "The compliance issues appear to stem primarily from a lack of knowledge, which can be addressed, and funding, which may be more difficult to solve."

The OSU study was sponsored by the Erkkila Endowment at Good Samaritan Hospital in Corvallis.

Cardinal said that opportunities for physical activity are particularly important for persons with disabilities because on average they tend to be more sedentary and prone to medical complications. Most of the fitness clubs surveyed in the Oregon State study had few patrons with disabilities and research is lacking on the fitness needs or access for that population.

"It could be a chicken or egg type of thing," Cardinal said. "Do persons with disabilities stay away from health clubs because they lack access, or they're uncomfortable working out with the other clients? Or does the lack of compliance stem from a comparative disinterest on the part of the persons with disabilities in joining such clubs?

"To be honest, we need more research," Cardinal added. "But it seems that there would be a potential marketing plus in having a fully accessible facility." The OSU study found the areas of highest compliance with ADA guidelines involved exterior doors (90 percent); telephones, 88 percent; elevators, 83 percent; and ramps, 83 percent.

Ease of movement to and around the equipment had the least compliance, only 8 percent.

The clubs had mixed results in other areas, such as path of travel, 58 percent compliance; parking, 56 percent; drinking fountains, 55 percent; restrooms and locker rooms, 44 percent; and customer service desk, 37 percent.

"It may only take one area of non-compliance to create a non-welcoming environment," Cardinal said. "If you go in the door and the first thing you're confronted with is a turnstile that someone has to move for you - or worse, lift you over - you may not want to return."

The Americans With Disabilities Act, passed in 1991, requires pathways to be 36 inches wide and doorframes, restroom stalls and other points of access to be 32 inches wide. Not all weight and cardio equipment needs that much access room, the OSU researchers point out.

"If you have 10 treadmills, it's not realistic to expect three feet between each one," Spaziani pointed out. "But if you have one or two with full access, or 36 inches between each component of a weight-lifting workout instead of each machine, that would be a step in the right direction."