A11YVERSE Spotlight: Fitness that fits every body
A11YVERSE Spotlight
Fitness that fits every body
This is the first edition of the A11YVERSE Spotlight newsletter.
Our goal is to share real stories from people and organizations who are moving accessibility forward in meaningful ways.
Sekond Skin Society is one of those examples.
Rethinking how fitness is designed
After more than 20 years working in disability inclusion, Lee-Anne Reuber made a transition into wellness and movement. What began as a yoga studio during a period of personal change became an opportunity to rethink how fitness is designed and who it is designed for.
During the shift to virtual classes, she began to notice a consistent pattern in participant feedback.
People responded positively when they had options, including:
- standing or seated movement
- different pacing depending on ability
- flexibility in how they could participate
What stood out was not just preference, but impact. People felt included, and for some, it was the first time they were able to take part in a fitness experience without barriers.
From adaptation to foundation
This led to a clear realization. Fitness was not inherently inclusive. It had simply been designed with a limited set of users in mind.
Instead of adapting existing models, Sekond Skin Society was built differently. Accessibility was not treated as an additional feature, but as part of the foundation.
The platform brings people with and without disabilities into the same experience, rather than separating them into different programs.
At its core, the idea is simple.
Inclusion happens when accessibility becomes part of the foundation.
Why this matters beyond fitness
Accessibility is often approached as a requirement, something to be addressed after a product is built. What this shows is that when accessibility is considered from the beginning, it improves the experience for everyone.
This applies across products, services, and digital platforms.
The broader context reinforces this:
- approximately 1.3 billion people globally live with significant disabilities
- in Canada, around 27 percent of the population identifies as having at least one disability
- the accessible fitness and wellness space is growing rapidly, with increasing demand for inclusive solutions
This is not a niche issue. It highlights a gap between how systems are designed and how people actually experience them.
A broader shift in thinking
Sekond Skin Society is addressing that gap in a practical way.
When accessibility is built in from the start, it leads to:
- better usability
- stronger engagement
- more inclusive experiences
Accessibility becomes part of how things work, not something that is added later.