We went to dockside today to look at the other gym up there, puregym. Before going to places we don’t really know we always check the website to see if it’s accessible and the advertised that it had disabled facilities and a lift. We got there and ended up waiting to gain access to the lift. My husband Martin had to go upstairs to try and find someone to put a key code in so I could go up. If I was on my own I would have given up as there was no way of alerting staff I was there. Other than climbing a very steep set of stairs. A good idea would be for the company to install a doorbell so visitors with disabilities can gain access. That was the first strike, the second came soon after because I struggled to get out of the lift that I drove into as the exit upstairs was on the side of the lift, with no turning circle to get out. I just about managed it by bashing my way out doing a ten point turn. We got onto the gym floor that was ok actually. A really lovely space with aircon etc, but here comes to 3rd strike… as a Pilates and yoga lover, to attend any classes and gain access to the studio I would have to go up another flight of stairs! The same on the other side with free weights! I physically can’t do this. After talking to the manager who showed me round, I discovered that I wouldn’t be able to get out of the building without difficulty if there was a fire/fire drill.
Then on the way out as predicted I couldn’t get back into the lift because of the awkward angle so Martin had to lift my scooter in sideways!
So as nice as this gym is for the excellent value for money and lovely staff member, it’s definitely not fully accessible and you need a wheelchair rather than mobility scooter to use their lift!
Tru Gym on the other hand is fully accessible on one level via a lift. So in the future I would have the option of going on my own. Where as at pure gym I would not.
While we were at dockside we decided to have a little mooch around. When we first got there we discovered that all of the disabled bays have been turned into parent and child plus disabled bays??!! So I’m really confused. In my opinion this only helps able bodied parents. Also in comparison there are far more able bodied parents than there are disabled people. This actually made it a lot harder to park and we very nearly gave up.
A parent has the option of parking further away from the store at the back of the car park where it’s less busy to get more room to get in and out. A disabled person needs the space and closer distance because they are in fact disabled. If there are no spaces available for a disabled person they will physically not be able to get out of their car. We can’t walk as far either, if at all! Disabilities also means unwell. For a parent to not have a special space it’s inconvenient. For a disabled person, it can make that intended trip out impossible.
It makes me wonder what the point to a blue badge is, if anyone with a child is able to park in that space?
To top it off the range at dockside is clearly not accessible. I struggled going around corners and that was made worse by pallets being dumped everywhere. Then when using the lift I discovered the doors don’t have sensors because as I was getting out the doors shut on me hitting the sides of the scooter, the didn’t stop trying to close until Izzy hit the door open button! The best part was discovering the new Beauty Outlet shop! It’s amazing, and accessible. The staff were lovely and really helpful. I even spoke to one person about them looking into supplying ergonomic makeup brushes!
I’m now exhausted after all that, and poor after Beauty Outlet!
So it’s time for me to have a nap 💤
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