About Us
Hi, my name is Dale Robertson and I am the owner and founder of DR Inclusive Fitness and Wellbeing, Scotland’s first dedicated gym for disabled people and those with long term health conditions.
Our History
The foundations for DR Inclusive Fitness started over 20 years ago during a primary school tennis session when I was studying sports coaching. There was a young wheelchair user who had not been taking part in previous sessions; my first thought was why not? After getting her involved in the session, it quickly became apparent that she could hold a tennis racket, and she could hit a tennis ball. Looking back, this was my first realisation that it wasn’t her medical condition that stopped her, but rather a lack of knowledge and support from the people around her. This was my first encounter with the social model of disability (without knowing it at the time) and it sparked something in me.
“This was my first encounter with the social model of disability (without knowing it at the time) and it sparked something in me.“
I went on to complete a placement at an additional needs school and then on to be a Personal Assistant (PA)for a disabled man for 12 years. It started as a summer job helping with physio exercises, evolving to include assisting with personal care and also with his work as an Independent Living Officer for a disability charity – which included delivering disability equality training. All of this allowed me to gain a vast knowledge of disability theory, such as the models of disability and how this relates to everyday life.
Scotland’s first
Our First Dedicated Gym
Although the journey started many years before, I officially started DR Inclusive Fitness and Wellbeing in 2019. I started based in a commercial gym, alongside offering a home visit service. However, I quickly recognised that the business needed its own space.
And so, in January 2021 Scotland’s first gym for disabled people was opened! The memory of the young girl in the tennis class, and the role of the social model of disability, underpin our aims to remove some of the barriers that disabled people and those with long-term health conditions face in the fitness industry.
Our Approach
Inclusion far outreaches being able to get someone in the building. We know that there are still a lot of barriers within the fitness industry, for example, the attitudes towards disabled people, language barriers, and a lack of knowledge about disability. Having our own gym enables us to have greater control over the environment for our clients. We can adjust sound, lighting, and space to meet both sensory and access needs. We have learned basic British Sign Language skills, and also use storyboards and Picture Exchange Communication systems.
One of our greatest achievements so far is the community that we have created, and the peer support that facilitates. The atmosphere in the gym is what we protect the most, creating a safe space where disabled people can feel like they are not the only person like them in the room and learn from the lived experiences of others.
“The atmosphere in the gym is what we protect the most, creating a safe space where disabled people can feel like they are not the only person like them in the room and learn from the lived experiences of others.”
Equipment was a significant barrier that we identified, so we worked to find ways to adapt this as much as possible. We have a range of adapted equipment that is currently not available in commercial gyms such as motormeds, Invictus wheelchair treadmills, accessible lat pull-down, and leg press machines.
Get to know
Our Trainers
Over the years, our team has grown to accommodate the increasing number of clients joining us. All of our team are specialist personal trainers with a background in working with, or living with, or identifying as, disabled people. Each of them has undertaken disability equality training and share a passion for improving access to fitness.
Looking to the future
Watch This Space
In 2023, we opened our second gym to meet the demand for our services and to increase our reach amongst the disability community.
Our aim is to have a DR inclusive Fitness and Wellbeing gym in every local authority in Scotland… watch this space.
For more information
Book a Free Consultation
Get in touch to book a free consultation with one of our highly trained and experienced trainers today.