“Fitness is for everyone. By removing barriers, we’re creating spaces where the Deaf community can thrive,” says Valentina Willats, Deaf personal trainer.
Free weekly sessions at Birmingham Deaf Cultural Centre feature BSL instruction, visual aids, and tailored materials, backed by Birmingham City Council’s Cost of Living Programme.
“I like exercising and feel much better. We talked about healthy food and exercising to lose weight,” adds Usmabi, a Deaf, visually impaired, and autistic participant.
Inspiring Fitness in the Community is proud to announce the launch of free weekly fitness sessions at the Birmingham Deaf Cultural Centre, specifically tailored for Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals.
Supported by Birmingham City Council’s Cost of Living Programme, these classes aim to remove communication barriers and make health and exercise truly accessible to everyone.
Led by coach and personal trainer, Valentina Willats – herself a Deaf sign language user – these sessions come at a crucial time.
In the UK, 42% of disabled adults are classed as inactive – doing little to no exercise – compared to 22% of non-disabled people1, with many deaf individuals admitting to feeling overlooked due to insufficient accommodations. In 2024, deaf fitness instructor India Morse shared how dark, fast-paced fitness studios left her lost and isolated, when she was unable to lip-read instructions.
“Too often, Deaf people are excluded from fitness spaces due to a lack of sign language support and culturally aware guidance,” says Willats, who has been a health and fitness instructor working with the Deaf community since 2008.
“Fitness should be for everyone. By breaking down communication barriers, we’re creating spaces and fitness sessions where the Deaf community can thrive and feel empowered to improve their health.”
Removing Barriers to Fitness
With this in mind, Inspiring Fitness in the Community is now transforming fitness for underserved communities by holding weekly sessions at the Birmingham Deaf Cultural Centre every Monday free of charge, backed by Birmingham City Council’s Cost of Living Programme.
These classes feature BSL instruction, visual cues like coloured lights and countdown clocks, and key materials in BSL video format, ensuring an inclusive, accessible, and engaging experience for all.
“Exercise becomes truly empowering when everyone has the right tools and environment,” says Marcus McDonald, who launched Inspiring Fitness in the Community in June last year to provide free, inclusive exercise support groups to local communities.
“By bridging the gap between hearing and Deaf communities, we’re showing how health and fitness can move beyond a one-size-fits-all approach to serve people with disabilities and other groups traditionally overlooked by the health and wellness industry.”
Success Stories from the Community
One success story involves Usmabi, a Deaf, visually impaired, and autistic participant who had long struggled to find a suitable fitness environment.
“To accommodate Usmani’s needs, we made some adaptations to make the session accessible for her including using reaction lights to guide her,” adds Willats.
“At her first session, she discovered straightforward exercises and basic healthy-eating concepts, all conveyed in a way she could fully understand. She left feeling motivated, excited to return, and empowered by the new knowledge she could incorporate into her daily life.”
“I like exercising and I feel much better. We talked about healthy food like vegetables and fish and exercising to lose weight,” says Ladywood resident Usmabi, who has been attending Willat’s circuit training sessions every week since they launched in January.
Another participant, Shasta, a mother of four, attended her first session last week after discussing the importance of self-care. Reflecting on her experience, she shared:
“My muscles were a bit sore the day after, but not badly. I felt really good and slept so well. I want to make time to look after myself by exercising more.”
Inspiring a More Inclusive Fitness Industry
Looking ahead, Inspiring Fitness in the Community hopes these sessions will inspire other organisations to adopt inclusive fitness models. The team welcomes collaborations with local councils, gyms, and community centres, with a long-term vision of training more Deaf individuals – and those from other underrepresented backgrounds – to become fitness instructors themselves.
Deaf or hard-of-hearing individuals can join these inclusive fitness sessions every Monday at the Birmingham Deaf Cultural Centre by contacting val@inspiring-fitness.co.uk.
