lding is old. It just isn’t disability friendly from the change rooms to the pool. I must be fair and say they do have a hydraulic lift into the pool, but the only people who can really use it are those who transfer themselves or who have lot of people helping and supporting them. If I am put on the lift I need two people to transfer me onto it, then hold me there (challenging in itself), and then when I come out, the situation is harder because I’m wet and the floor is slippery. I can at least bear my own weight as long as I don’t suddenly leap and jerk the people holding Water has to be one of the most, if not the most, relaxing substances on earth. Many disabled people find comfort and peace in water. This is I think it should be mandatory that we have accessible pools in the area.

I can only speak for myself when I say that water is the best medicine for relaxation because of the way it molds to my body. It doesn’t restrict me in any way, but it gives me support so that I can relax naturally, which is something I can’t do on land. This isn’t to say that my jerky movements stop, but since water eliminates weight, there’s no strain on my body. Needless to say, water and I have a wonderful relationship; the only problem is: I can’t get into it very often because I don’t have the assistance to do it as much as I would like. When I do, any change room is dangerous because of the slippery tile floor. I have fallen once in the local pool locker room despite my friend’s efforts to keep me upright, but luckily the lifeguard heard our yells for help and came to our rescue. The change room obviously needs to be improved to be safe, and since I have to rely on assistance, I’m not sure what other people require. My gut instinct tells me, though, that more things need to be improved for it to be a disability friendly environment. I can only start by saying that change rooms need some kind of lift system to help us move from chair to chair for example. I could probably find assistance a lot easier if people could rely on lifts being at the site.

Now the pool there is absolutely heavenly to get in and out of because of the ramp; I couldn’t ask for a better system. We are transferred into a chair that can go in the water and are pushed down the ramp until we float. When it’s time to get out, the chair is brought back and we are floated into it with guidance.

Now let’s turn our attention to the YMCA. The Y is like a second home to me because I grew up going there. When I was small, volunteers used to take us swimming every week. Then, a program started at school every week. After I stopped going to school, someone would pick up the slack. Oh, there were years in between, but I always found myself back at the Y, and it always feels like home inside those doors.

However, it has some very serious accessibility problems mainly because the building is old. It just isn’t disability friendly from the change rooms to the pool. I must be fair and say they do have a hydraulic lift into the pool, but the only people who can really use it are those who transfer themselves or who have lot of people helping and supporting them. If I am put on the lift I need two people to transfer me onto it, then hold me there (challenging in itself), and then when I come out, the situation is harder because I’m wet and the floor is slippery. I can at least bear my own weight as long as I don’t suddenly leap and jerk the people holding m

my body. Needless to say, water and I have a wonderful relationship; the only problem is: I can’t get into it very often because I don’t have the assistance to do it as much as I would like. When I do, any change room is dangerous because of the slippery tile floor. I have fallen once in the local pool locker room despite my friend’s efforts to keep me upright, but luckily the lifeguard heard our yells for help and came to our rescue. The change room obviously needs to be improved to be safe, and since I have to rely on assistance, I’m not sure what other people require. My gut instinct tells me, though, that more things need to be improved for it to be a disability friendly environment. I can only start by saying that change rooms need some kind of lift system to help us move from chair to chair for example. I could probably find assistance a lot easier if people could rely on lifts being at the site.

Now the pool there is absolutely heavenly to get in and out of because of the ramp; I couldn’t ask for a better system. We are transferred into a chair that can go in the water and are pushed down the ramp until we float. When it’s time to get out, the chair is brought back and we are floated into it with guidance.

Now let’s turn our attention to the YMCA. The Y is like a second home to me because I grew up going there. When I was small, volunteers used to take us swimming every week. Then, a program started at school every week. After I stopped going to school, someone would pick up the slack. Oh, there were years in between, but I always found myself back at the Y, and it always feels like home inside those doors.

However, it has some very serious accessibility problems mainly because the building is old. It just isn’t disability friendly from the change rooms to the pool. I must be fair and say they do have a hydraulic lift into the pool, but the only people who can really use it are those who transfer themselves or who have lot of people helping and supporting them. If I am put on the lift I need two people to transfer me onto it, then hold me there (challenging in itself), and then when I come out, the situation is harder because I’m wet and the floor is slippery. I can at least bear my own weight as long as I don’t suddenly leap and jerk the people holding

y gut instinct tells me, though, that more things need to be improved for it to be a disability friendly environment. I can only start by saying that change rooms need some kind of lift system to help us move from chair to chair for example. I could probably find assistance a lot easier if people could rely on lifts being at the site.

Now the pool there is absolutely heavenly to get in and out of because of the ramp; I couldn’t ask for a better system. We are transferred into a chair that can go in the water and are pushed down the ramp until we float. When it’s time to get out, the chair is brought back and we are floated into it with guidance.

Now let’s turn our attention to the YMCA. The Y is like a second home to me because I grew up going there. When I was small, volunteers used to take us swimming every week. Then, a program started at school every week. After I stopped going to school, someone would pick up the slack. Oh, there were years in between, but I always found myself back at the Y, and it always feels like home inside those doors.

However, it has some very serious accessibility problems mainly because the building is old. It just isn’t disability friendly from the change rooms to the pool. I must be fair and say they do have a hydraulic lift into the pool, but the only people who can really use it are those who transfer themselves or who have lot of people helping and supporting them. If I am put on the lift I need two people to transfer me onto it, then hold me there (challenging in itself), and then when I come out, the situation is harder because I’m wet and the floor is slippery. I can at least bear my own weight as long as I don’t suddenly leap and jerk the people holding

to get out, the chair is brought back and we are floated into it with guidance.

Now let’s turn our attention to the YMCA. The Y is like a second home to me because I grew up going there. When I was small, volunteers used to take us swimming every week. Then, a program started at school every week. After I stopped going to school, someone would pick up the slack. Oh, there were years in between, but I always found myself back at the Y, and it always feels like home inside those doors.

However, it has some very serious accessibility problems mainly because the building is old. It just isn’t disability friendly from the change rooms to the pool. I must be fair and say they do have a hydraulic lift into the pool, but the only people who can really use it are those who transfer themselves or who have lot of people helping and supporting them. If I am put on the lift I need two people to transfer me onto it, then hold me there (challenging in itself), and then when I come out, the situation is harder because I’m wet and the floor is slippery. I can at least bear my own weight as long as I don’t suddenly leap and jerk the people holding

lding is old. It just isn’t disability friendly from the change rooms to the pool. I must be fair and say they do have a hydraulic lift into the pool, but the only people who can really use it are those who transfer themselves or who have lot of people helping and supporting them. If I am put on the lift I need two people to transfer me onto it, then hold me there (challenging in itself), and then when I come out, the situation is harder because I’m wet and the floor is slippery. I can at least bear my own weight as long as I don’t suddenly leap and jerk the people holding me. There are many people who can’t bear own weight let alone help those who are moving them. They could weigh 120lbs, but they would feel like 150lbs because they wouldn’t be able to help themselves. Unfortunately, the Y has some very serious problems that can’t be changed without totally revamping its situation by building a whole new pool and locker rooms. However, we have the local pool that has lots of potential if the powers that be would take advice from the disabled community.

I, like so many other disabled people, need to be in water to exercise and relax, but we can’t do that unless changes are made. Lifts and other equipment are vital to ensure the safety and well-being of each disabled person as well as any assistant who goes with him/her.