Whatever happened to flexibility ? And I don't mean my knees!

If they do not realise that they are not disabled friendly then it is your job, your duty, your mission to make sure they are educated....pronto Grans rule, never forget this!

Well, I was thinking of trying our local council run pool/gym,but now I'm not so sure.
Perhaps I will go and make a fuss. Thanks for the information Nanaandgrampy.

Have they got a Twitter account or a Facebook Page. If so, challenge them publicly. Quite often you find they respond positively if they think the world is watching.

The very same thing happened to me¡ ive suffered from m/e and a host of auto immune probelms ,since i was 36, im 55 now ,and havent been able to work outside the home for 11 years.The fatigue and pain i suffer is constant. Ongoing 24 hrs a day.My husband is retired, and i dont yet obviously get a stare pension .So were living on his pension only.So money is tight .But i do swim wen i can .So i went to join this local place that had a lovely pool and was told id have to pay the same membership as others who are able to use the gym.This seems to be the norm, and like life is so unfair.

I believe they should have an Accessibility Policy. If they do, then it does not sound particularly efficient or robust. If they don't, then I believe they may be breaking the law. At the very least they have a duty of care to ensure your safety and well-being and the lift experience is woeful and incredibly uncaring. Legalities aside, I think they are being unreasonable and I share your concerns. I would challenge them. It would be so easy to just give up your swimming and this would be a great pity.

They seem to be in breach of equality legislation relating to people with disabilities.
I would try a letter making this point in a non confrontational way and asking what can be done to improve your access to the part of the facility that you want to use. Maybe a text number that you can use if you need to remind people that you are still waiting would be a compromise (as long as they respond to it).

I understand your frustrations Nana and think it abominable that it can be made so difficult for those less able.
I had a gym membership for a while but it was expensive as I had to use a private chain (owned by our friend, Duncan) because it was the only one which had a disabled changing room directly off the pool and a lift to all the other facilities. It was a fair distance to travel so it was a big commitment in time and energy.
DD came with me to look around and see if it was viable for me to use. They stipulated that I had to pay for a double membership so that someone could come with me to help me but even then the helper could not come into the pool with me until I pointed out just how ridiculous that was. When you need help then you need it then and there not when you have drowned! In any case it is a big thing to ask someone to accompany you for what amounted to half a day and then say that they couldn't swim too. Who would do that? I would be too embarrassed to ask!
The only other way was if I had a professional paid carer with me who was required to prove their qualifications. Even then they were not allowed to use the facilities themselves.
I paid the double membership for a while and took whichever friend was available and it certainly helped me but it was very expensive and so I had to let it lapse.
There are so many obstacles to be overcome in just living and it would seem that it is mainly a lack of thought in the planning of these facilities as well as empathy towards the disabled in the running of them that makes it almost impossible for disabled people to access them.

Nana, I feel for you greatly.

As has been mentioned I would get in touch with your local councillor. I would also double check that there is not a council pool fairly close by that has facilities to aid you as you could probably get an annual membership cheaper than what you are paying.

Regarding the gym you are using I would ask to speak to the Manager as I'm quite shocked that you are locked in by a locked door which sounds very much like an H & S issue. If the gym is part of a large organisation and you get no joy locally I would go to head office and get it all in writing.

Personally I think you have a real issue and are not just moaning so good luck.

I am a member of a gym with a pool in FRance near me- and I am in the same situation. It's either all or nothing- when I challenged this they said 'go to a pool only' place! Until recently there was none- but now there is a new fabulous pool in nearby France and that is fabulous for me.

In the UK we belonged to a timeshare facility where we could use the facilities year round for our week's ownership. We now live abroad so we can't use said facilities- but of course there is now way of cutting our maintenance cost.

One of those things. Is there no other pool you can use in the area?

How about suggesting they might get more members and therefore more income if they introduced a swim only membership? The idea you are only allowed grandparent membership if you have a family is frankly insulting. Perhaps a letter to the local paper is needed "local fitness centre discriminating against the elderly and disabled"??? Good luck.

Same happened for me too. I'm not interested in artificial exercise on gymn equipment and was only using the pool. No chance of swim only membership. Luckily I found what has turned out to be a much nicer club which offers swim only membership, discount for week day only etc and I'm much happier there. Is there any chance of you finding another club?

I did ask but didn't really labour the disability point and they said they don't do it BUT I could have a grandparents membership at a 5th of what I pay IF it was attached to a full fee paying membership.

So am tempted to try and get myself adopted by another family

I think I'm going to go back and try again. They aren't very disabled friendly really although I don't think they know that .

I think I might ask my local councillor if s/he can help. It seems very unreasonable and unfair. Is there anything in Disabilities legislation which could help your case? Good luck!

DS1 gets reduced membership as he is disabled and he uses both the gym and the pool. I think you arecorrect to demand a reduced fee. Can you find a number of similarly disadvantaged people and lobby?

What a nuisance for you nana
What about grovelling (I'm not above grovelling) letter to the gym manager
Tell him that if you had to leave due to their inflexibility then they would also loose your DH custom as well.

I would say how nice their gym is and that the staff try to be helpful but unfortunately it doesn't always work out re lifts etc.
They are providing a service that should be disabled friendly.
Good luck

No, you are mot being unreasonable. But these days it's the bean counters who run everything, and there probably isn't a provision in their spread sheets for a ' swim only' membership. Have you tried writing a letter to your local paper, and getting support that way? Good luck

Just because you are a lateral thinker, one of a dying breed perhaps,you really cant help being grumpy. I would be too.

I suppose the council would say that its allowances are being cut, so lets make hay when the sun shines!

Never mind that, if your council is anything like mine, it spends monies on fripperies demanded by the EU.

Will that change because of Brexit, I think not.

I don't think it's unreasonable at all. Have you asked for them for such a membership? What was their response?
And the lift story is appalling.