Introduction

Background

Place

Australia would have to be one of the most health-focused countries on the planet, they tend to spend more time outdoors, but also the fitness culture is popular. In Australia, the gyms and fitness centers industry has grown strongly over the past five years. According to IBIS World, the average Gyms and Fitness Centers industry growth from 2014 to 2019 was 5.7%. In addition, Membership numbers are projected to continue, increasing over the next five years, due to population growth and rising health consciousness. (“Gyms and Fitness Centres in Australia – Market Research Report,” 2019)

People

It is estimated that there are over 575,000 people who are currently blind or have vision loss living in Australia, projected to grow to over 800,000 by 2020. This rapid increase is due to the aging population and the fact that the risk of eye disease increases three fold over the age of 40. (Gordon Duff, August 2015).

The client of this strategic brief is Mel-

bourne City Baths, and the main users

would be blind people from BSRV community (Blind Sports&Recreation Victo-

ria community). The methodology conducted for this brief uses a selected site within Melbourne, Victoria for context analysis.

Process

Melbourne City Baths is a renowned sports center not only due to its long history but also its important location. In this sense, the high recognition and high-profile of Melbourne City Baths can show the society and its peer competition a good sample. Apart from that, since it belongs to the city of Melbourne, the local government authority, which allows it to has more collaborative opportunities with other charity organizations. This collaborative managing model can be promoted and adapted to other fitness centers in Melbourne.

Introduction

Background

“Exercise is therefore very important to me, as it is with so many of us. But it’s harder for blind and visually impaired (VI) people to walk and exercise freely; jogging in the park or cycling outdoors is impossible on your own. That’s where gyms should come in. Sadly, however, they are often woefully inaccessible and can be daunting for those with sight loss.”

Amar Latif

Amar Latif is a British entrepreneur, television personality and professional traveller. His blindness is due to the incurable eye condition retinitis pigmentosa. By his late teens he had 95% sight loss.

When mobile phones, TVs, and even washing machines are set up for visually impaired people to use, why isn’t exercise equipment and sports facilities? (Latif, Feb 2018) So How can we modify and improve the current fitness/sports center training environment and make it safer and more attractive for the low vision groups? How can we modify and improve the current fitness/sports center training environment and make it safer and more attractive for the low vision groups?

( Amar Latif at the Olympic Velodrome, Glenn Swift / Channel 4)