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On my way to MSAC, who’ve told me their re-opened outdoor lap pool is only for lap swimmers. Their reopened hydrotherapy pool now requires a personal physio. This is ableist, classist and paternalist. I’ve booked a lane. I don’t have a personal physio and I can’t swim laps
It’s freezing outside this morning and belting down rain
Obligations under the Equal Opportunity Act 2010 aren’t suspended due to COVID-19. Other facilities have opened up space for the disabled, the chronically ill and elderly to exercise
Lovely morning for a dip
If you don’t require lap swimmers to pay for a personal one-on-one coach to access facilities, don’t demand ppl with disabilities have to hire a private physio to use the public hydrotherapy pool
Rocking up 10 mins early to deal with paper work
Did my temp check and covid check-in. Nervous now. There’s only thrashing lap swimmers in the pool
Ok. Here goes.
So I was the only non-lap swimmer. The 25m lanes had three to a lanes. Bit cramped. MSAC was wise enough not to say a word when I didn’t swim laps.
Outdoor pool is too deep for lower body rehab exercises
MSAC have already been referred to the Victorian Human Rights Equal Opportunity Commission for repeatedly telling me over the phone I could only use the outdoor pool if lap swimming
Asked where the bathroom was after and was told only the “disable bathroom was open.” So all the able bodied lap swimmers are using the accessible bathroom for ppl with accessibility needs
The temporary exit lane set up with barricades is not an accessible pathway
Anyway I probably have hypothermia at this point
As a rule of thumb, if it wasn’t acceptable before COVID-19, it’s not acceptable now. Don’t use the disability accessible toilet if you’re able bodied. Don’t tell ppl with disabilities they can’t use the pool
