Additional access has been added to the aquatic centre pools at Powell River Recreation Complex in the form of a new lift for persons with disabilities and mobility issues and anyone requiring assistance entering the pools.
According to Neil Pukesh, City of Powell River manager of recreation, the new power lift addresses a priority for his department, which is more community access to facilities.
“This is the start,” said Pukesh. “We know there are a lot more improvements that are required.”
Representatives of disability services and organizations have worked with the complex on a number of occasions regarding accessibility issues and programming.
“Use of the pool has always been a key element of recreational activity for people with disabilities,” said David Morris, executive director of Powell River Model Community Project, which advocates on behalf of disabled persons in Powell River. “Having this new equipment and making the pool more accessible is a good addition to the complex.”
Aquatics are one of the best forms of physical activity for persons with disabilities, said Morris.
“It allows them to do a lot more exercises while still having the help of the water to suspend them,” he said. “It’s very important as far as any of their physical activity goes.”
The $7,200, state-of-the-art power lift is one of the newest on the market, according to Pukesh. It replaces the previous manual, stationary lift that could only allow access to certain parts of the pool. The old lift required a hand-crank mechanism that was not as stable or durable and it failed in May.
Portable and not requiring permanent mounting to the pool deck, the new unit can also be moved anywhere alongside either of the pools. With the remote-control access, once in place on the pool edge, people can control the lift themselves.
“The staff have to move it to the pool edge, then the transfer to the lift chair can be done by the user, or with assistance,” said Corey Martin, aquatic program coordinator at the complex. “Then the client can use the handheld unit to move over the pool and into the water.”
According to Pukesh, Powell River has an aging population and a large number of people with disabilities who use the complex. Providing people access to everything and everywhere in the facility is vital to the community, he said.
Future plans include ramps into the pools and wheelchair accessible doors on the change rooms, said Pukesh.
The new lift has been in use since the aquatic centre re-opened on Monday, July 4, after its annual maintenance.
