After years of careful planning and design, the City of Peterborough has a beautiful, innovative YMCA to be proud of. Following the YMCA’s mission to be inclusive to all, the new building was designed with accessibility not only in mind, but at the forefront of the project.

“We tried very hard to make sure that we eliminated any barriers,” says YMCA Chief Executive Officer Bob Gallagher. And it would seem they’ve succeeded. From accessible parking, washrooms and change rooms, to automatic doors, wide walkways, adaptive exercise equipment, a pool with a special ramp leading in and an accessible daycare, the new YMCA is a welcoming place for everyone.

“Whether it be someone with a mobility issue or a mom with three kids,” says Bob, “it just makes life that much easier.” Staff at the YMCA also strive to make life easier for their customers by understanding that everyone has different needs and working hard to meet them.

“Our staff have been known nationally through YMCA Canada for being in the Top 10 from a customer service point of view,” says Bob. “So certainly, training is key to our staff. And that training ranges from how to deal with complaints, how to assist people in making decisions, but also in how to deal with individual people.”

And it’s that level of service that has helped the Peterborough YMCA gain thousands of loyal customers. One loyal customer, Terry Wilson, has a special appreciation for the accommodations offered at the new YMCA.

Terry, who is hard-of-hearing, uses the captioning features on the cardio machine screens to watch TV during his workouts and finds it extremely helpful. He is also able to carry-on a conversation at any spot in the building with ease, which is not always the case for him elsewhere.

“This is an example of an exceptionally friendly acoustic environment for me,” explains Terry. “This is such a pleasant place to come to — you actually look forward to it.”

Terry, who is also the chair of the Peterborough Coalition for Persons with Disabilities, believes that the accessibility of the YMCA honours the independence and dignity of everyone. He also points out what others can learn from the YMCA — that it costs less to design and build an accessible building from the get-go than to renovate after the fact.

And that’s a point the YMCA has taken to heart.

“It’s imperative as we design new facilities or renovate existing facilities,” says Bob, “that we really try to keep a broad concept of who is in our community, and how we can best respond to their needs.”