Viking Atletik became for everyone based on universal design

In 2022, Bornholm's largest sports association, Viking Altletik, opened its doors to a brand new building in Rønne at 460 m.^{! 2}. It is designed for association fitness and people with mobility disabilities,

The new building is based on the principles of universal design, which among other things allows wheelchair users, for example, to get to the machines on an equal footing with abdre without impairments.

The project has received support from, among other things, the 'Fitness for All' campaign, which creates innovative initiatives that make fitness accessible to people with mobility disabilities. The partnership behind Fitness for All is the Bevica Foundation, the philanthropic association Realdania, Lokale og Anlægsfonden, Danish Disability Organizations, DIF, DGI, Parasport Danmark and Move for Life — Fitness.

“With the Fitness For All project, we strengthen our sports offering and our social community, while also including new audiences. We are particularly pleased that we have now been given a better opportunity to attract people with mobility disabilities and other types of disabilities. Our new house will provide a framework for a diversity of sports offerings and socializing, which I see as the most important element of sport,” says Claus Clausen, president of the association Viking Athletics.

The new building includes, among other things, a gym and much better opportunity for functional training. And as something new, a café has also been built, which provides a new and rich opportunity for inclusion and togetherness between the different user groups in Viking Athletics.

The project in Rønne is the last of three projects to be carried out as part of 'Fitness for all'. The other two are located in Gladsaxe and Gårslev respectively. In this way, the partnership behind the campaign can now begin to gather experience on the importance of the new framework for people with and without mobility disabilities.

“There is a need for many more gyms to allow active communities for everyone — including people in wheelchairs, for example. That is why in the partnership we have wanted to support experimental projects and pioneering examples with the Fitness for All campaign. Viking Athletics puts a nice end to our three pilot projects. What remains now is to collect all the many experiences from the projects and pass them on to associations and facilities,” says Charlotte Bach Thomassen, national president of DGI, on behalf of the partnership behind Fitness for All.

The three pilot projects, including the project in Rønne, are being monitored and evaluated by BARK consultancy, which is the secretariat for the campaign, as well as by a research effort run by the Centre for Adapted Sport and Movement at the University of Southern Denmark. The research effort is intended to document the effect of the new measures and is funded by the Tryg Foundation.

See the other projects in Fitness for all

Gladsaxe Multifitness

Gladsaxe Municipality has initiated a radical renewal of a larger residential area for citizens with disabilities. The vision is to create fertile ground for 'reverse' integration, where it is not only the residents of the area with disabilities who will be integrated into the area outside Kellersvej, but also the citizens' outside ', who will want to use the Kellersvej area for activities on a par with the residents of the area.

The renewal of the residential area provides an opportunity to release a former operating building and make it available for a newly established, association-based fitness center.

Gårslevhallen

Gårslöhallen is a traditional, volunteer-run hall, which now needs to be expanded, upgraded and strengthened as a meeting place where you not only come to sweat on your forehead, but also to meet with friends and family.

Four institutions for people with both physical and mental disabilities are located in the area, and there is therefore the potential to involve a new and large user group in the development of the hall, which includes, among other things, a new fitness department.

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