K Leisure Receives Quality Disability Access Award

Good news was delivered to the staff and management of K Leisure Naas & Athy this week when they were informed that both of their sites have been awarded the Excellence Ireland Quality Association (EIQA) ABLE Business Excellence Award.

K Leisure received the award for two areas of excellence, The ABLE Customer – The ABLE Customer allows a company to demonstrate that their organisation provides a quality customer experience, which builds and develops ongoing relationships with customers. Incorporating an inclusive communications approach shows all of the K Leisure customers that the company is developing a long-term accessible service.

The ABLE Environment – The Built Environment allows a company to demonstrate that they have made provision for universal access and circulation throughout their premises so that all users, both customer and staff, may move around in safety and with ease.

The ABLE Business Excellence Award is acknowledged as being the Q Mark for accessibility. The award is nationally recognised and exceeds the standard required of current legislation for accessibility.

The ABLE Award distinguishes the facilities at K Leisure Naas & Athy from all other leisure facilities, demonstrating that the company supports the highest standards available.

Having the ABLE award visible on the K Leisure premises tells the customer that we are ABLE to facilitate them with greater support than ever before, thus broadening the customer base.

The ABLE Award has been jointly created by Ireland’s leading experts in the areas of quality and disability; EIQA and Rehab.

Receiving the ABLE Business Excellence Award is an acknowledgement of the commitment to providing services to the customers of K Leisure who has a disability or difficulty accessing leisure facilities.

Both sites in Naas and Athy underwent a rigorous application and audit process which assessed all areas of the built environment and the services provided for customers with disabilities. Each of the audits involved personnel from the EIQA. The facilities at Naas and Athy are built to the highest possible standards for all users of leisure facilities with particular attention being paid to users with special needs. Both facilities have been open for just over a year and continue to attract a wide variety of user, from the serious gym person to a family coming for a swim.

K Leisure in Naas and Athy currently attracts in excess of 1,500 users per day to the facilities with a wide range of programmes available for all age groups and needs – both sites have state of the art gyms which can be accessed by all users as the gym equipment is specially designed to cater for persons with disabilities, to the ordinary user the gym equipment is looks and feels fantastic but can be adapted at the touch of switch to allow access to someone in a wheelchair. In addition all the changing facilities are full inclusive and permit access to toilet, shower and changing facilities that cater for all needs. The 25 metre swimming pool permits access to all with a pool hoist available during all opening hours which assists persons with access issues. The facilities have over 50 classes per week on the fitness class timetable. All of the staff have been specially trained to facilitate the needs of all the population and have undergone specific disability access training. Information is available in a variety of formats, braille and large print for visually impaired.

Both facilities are available on a pay as you go option or full membership option. The staff and management of the facilities are proud to accept the awards in the knowledge that the facilities are fully accessible for all users.