The RCU Aquatic Centre in Winkler will be more accessible than ever this summer.
Thanks to a $3,000 grant from the Winkler Community Foundation, the pool recently purchased a new specialized wheelchair and a walker to make it easier for people with physical disabilities to get into the water.
“We did previously have a wheelchair, but it was not an aquatic wheelchair,” noted Winkler recreation programmer Meg Dias. “So, as you can imagine, chlorinated water and a regular wheelchair was not the best fit.”
These new devices are made out of durable plastic and should last a good long time.
Wheelchair users will be able to simply roll into the sloped entry to the shallow end, while the walker provides a stabilizing hand for those who need it.
“For our beach entry, it will allow folks to walk in independently, because we don’t have a railing here right now,” Dias said. “And it allows people who maybe aren’t quite ready to use the wheelchair to get in—there’s dignity involved in still allowing them their independence and mobility.”
They’re also waiting on delivery of a few floating mobility aids that will allow physically disabled pool patrons to swim without fear of falling forward into the water.
“We’ve been looking at all kinds of options to get more folks into the water,” Dias said, noting the pool, which turns 30 this summer, was built at a time long before a lot of the modern accessibility requirements were put in place. “We’re striving to have accessible and inclusive programming. And when you do that, you see some of the shortfalls that we have in the pool.”
The aquatic wheelchair and walker both help to fill in some of those gaps.
If you need to use either device or one of the floatation aids, simply ask at the front desk or flag down a lifeguard.
