Man with Disabilities Forced to Travel Long Distances for Pool Access
A man with disabilities from Ayrshire has been compelled to travel over 20 miles into Glasgow to access a swimming pool.
The water is one of the few environments where Jamie Rigg, who has cerebral palsy, can leave his wheelchair. It also enables him to embrace his girlfriend Kainat, who also has disabilities.
Rigg requires two hoists to transfer from his wheelchair into the water, but the hoist in the changing room at his local pool in the Garnock Valley has been out of order for several months.
Other pools in Ayrshire and Renfrewshire either lack a suitable hoist or have equipment that is under repair, forcing Rigg to travel to a facility in the Gorbals area of Glasgow.
Impact on Physical and Mental Health
Jane Robson, who has assisted in caring for Rigg since 2021, stated that access to a swimming pool is a significant positive for the 28-year-old, but the current lack of access is adversely affecting both his physical and mental well-being.
"It's abysmal that people with disabilities are being ignored and not getting help to use public leisure facilities," Robson said.
"All of this is impacting Jamie's mental health as he feels he is not important enough to be able to access a swimming pool.
"The only times he is able to get out the chair is getting in or out of bed, and going swimming. But so many pools do not have proper facilities for wheelchair users."
Robson emphasized that a changing room hoist is necessary to assist Rigg in transferring out of his wheelchair, with an additional hoist required at the pool to facilitate entry into the water.
However, some leisure centres that claim to have disabled access only provide entry into the building itself, not access to the water.
Others have only one hoist located near the pool but none in the changing rooms.
"We can use the Gorbals one, but he lives in Irvine, so it's a long trip and not something that can be done regularly.
"It's such a shame - Jamie and his girlfriend can get out their chairs in the pool, hug each other and have a nice time. They've not been able to do that for months now."
The Portal leisure centre in Irvine does have both hoists, but one was out of operation when Rigg visited. The council body KA Leisure has stated that it has now been repaired.
Robson and Rigg have tried several leisure facilities in Ayrshire managed by KA Leisure in recent months, including Auchenharvie in Saltcoats, Vikingar in Largs, and The Citadel in Ayr. None of these had both required hoists operational.
A pool in Linwood, Renfrewshire, has suitable accessibility but, similar to the Garnock Valley pool, one hoist was broken.
Calls for Equal Access to Leisure Facilities
A spokesperson for Cerebral Palsy Scotland told BBC Scotland News that the difficulties faced by Rigg highlight broader accessibility issues for people with disabilities across Scotland.
"Access to leisure facilities and sport is essential for people with cerebral palsy, supporting physical health, independence and overall wellbeing.
"Yet, too often, barriers such as inaccessible environments or lack of appropriate equipment prevent people from taking part.
"Situations like this highlight a wider issue: accessibility must be built in as standard and properly maintained. Everyone should have equal access to the activities and spaces that support their health and participation in community life."
KA Leisure confirmed that The Portal in Irvine is now suitable for use, and the Garnock Valley hoist should soon be operational again.
"We recognise the importance of swimming as a vital form of exercise for many users, particularly those with limited mobility, and we take any concerns around accessibility very seriously.
"At Garnock Community Campus, the poolside hoist is operational following recent periods when it was taken out of use due to faults.
"An inspection will be completed to approve its reintroduction, and we aim to provide a further update as soon as this process is concluded."
The spokesperson added that pool hoists are available at Auchenharvie and Vikingar, but changing room facilities are not equipped with hoists.
One Ren, which manages culture and leisure facilities in Renfrewshire, stated:
"OneRen recognises the importance of accessible leisure facilities and understands the frustration that barriers to participation can cause for disabled people.
"Erskine Pool and Johnstone Community Hub have fully operational pool hoists in active use.
"In addition to pool hoists, a number of OneRen venues provide Changing Places facilities, which include motorised changing benches and tracking hoists to support users with complex disabilities."
