Gold’s Gym Penalised for Disabilty Discrimination
In a path-breaking judgement, the Gauhati High Court has imposed penalties on a gym and the Assam government for discrimination against people with disabilities.
Arman Ali is the Executive Director of NCPEDP, which stands for National Centre for Promotion of Employment of Disabled People. Mr Ali had applied for a membership with Gold’s Gym in March 2011. When the gym came to know about his disability, they demanded to see certificates from his doctor as well as his orthopedician.
The gym also made him go through rigorous work out, to discourage him from working out in the gym. He said that the staff humiliated him and tried everything possible to stop him from joining the gym. This went on from March 2011 to June 2011.They offered a month-long membership, for the price of an annual membership. This is why Arman Ali filed a petition in the Gauhati High Court against the inaccessible and disabled unfriendly services by Gold’s Gym.
For the first time a person has filed a disability discrimination petition against the Government of India, the Chief Commissioner, Persons with Disabilities along with the State Government, the State of Assam,The Gold’s Gym and WARE and WANTS TRADING PVT, which is Gold’s Gym’s Assam franchise.The Gauhati High Court’s Justice Ujjal Bhuyan, last month, ordered Gold’s Gym and Assam’s state government to pay Rs 50,000 each as penalty, for the 2011 petition filed by Arman Ali.
Justice Ujjal Bhuyan said that the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016, makes sure that people with disabilities get equal opportunities not discriminated. He has also directed the Assam government to ensure that all officers and employees of the Social Welfare Department undergo training and awareness programmes.
The court has told the Social Welfare Department in Assam, to make sure public buildings and public facilities and services are made accessible to persons with disabilities.
Arman Ali said that he is very happy with the verdict. He said that, all private sector service providers must have a clear cut policies for people with disabilities. This is now the law and people with disabilities will not take it lying down any longer.
