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YMCA Unveils Accessible Locker Room, Pool Lift

Justin Ihne demonstrates how the new accessible pool lift work at the Northern Berkshire YMCA on Monday afternoon.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Northern Berkshire YMCA took a giant step forward Monday in making sure every member of the community can enjoy the facilities.

Joined by North Adams Mayor Richard Alcombright and state Sen. Benjamin Downing, YMCA CEO Justin Ihne unveiled a newly renovated ADA-compliant family locker room and pool lift chair that makes it easier for those with physical limitations to access the water.

"This has been a project in the making for a few years," Ihne said before Alcombright and Downing cut the ribbon — Downing with a pair of scissors and Alcombright with his teeth after his scissors failed to cut through. "The Y is an inclusive organization that really strives to be there for everybody."

Alcombright said the city, which owns the YMCA building and leases it to the Y, is pleased that the Y's board of directors "stepped up" when a study indicated that accessibility was an issue in the city.

"It was definitely the right thing to do, to have a more inclusive Y," he said. "We're really pleased as a community."

The locker room renovation included taking space from an adjoining kitchen to make it larger and adding an accessible toilet and shower area. The building was constructed in the 1970s without having accessibility issues in mind, so that presented some challenges.

"The areas are a little bit bigger so the families can go in," Ihne said as he showed members of the board and other interested community partners around the locker room for one of the last times as he prepares to leave his post at the Y on Oct. 25. "It just provides a little more open space."

The money needed for the locker room improvement came from grants received from the Amelia Peabody Charitable Trust and the Alden Trust. The money for the new pool lift came from an anonymous donor, and the lift itself offers even more freedom for members with disabilities.

"It's operated by the person. It can also be operated by the lifeguard," Ihne said. "It gives control to the member."

That's a key point, said Rich Weisenflue, executive director Berkshire Family and Individual Resources (BFAIR), who as a community partner came out for Monday's announcement to see firsthand how the renovations would benefit the clients BFAIR serves.

"The lift chair is huge. Otherwise it's difficult to get someone in the pool," he said. "The ability to do it independently is ... increasing opportunities."

And that's what the project ultimately will do, everyone agreed Monday.

"The Y is a great community partner in any number of different ways, and making sure that everyone in the Northern Berkshires, in this region, has the ability to participate fully in the programs, in the offerings, of the Y, we know is completely in keeping with the mission of the organization," Downing said.

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