Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities Journal

Gym equipment is not required to follow ADA guidelines to ensure they can be used by people with disabilities. We have adapted one half of a dual-pulley machine to allow our sponsor, a paralympic athlete, to demonstrate these issues and push for change because the components used to alter these machines are often inaccessible. The height adjuster changes the angle between the weight and the user, allowing them to focus on different muscle groups, but if a user cannot reach the mechanism, they cannot use the machine, so we have automated and motorized that aspect. The weight stack requires users to move a small pin to a very specific position, so creating a raised system with linear guides to make that easier will allow users with hand dexterity issues to use the machine on their own. We hope these changes will make exercise more accessible for all.