ike millions of others, Donald Barbieri, 41, enjoys going to his local pool. But unlike most visitors to aquatics centers, Barbieri has multiple sclerosis, a chronic degenerative disease of the central nervous system.
In the past two to three years, his condition has deteriorated to the point that he can’t run around and play with his 10-year-old daughter.
“In the pool, though, I’m good to go,” says Barbieri. “I can knock off 20 laps.”
Barbieri tries to visit his local North Hempstead, N.Y., pool two to three times a week, where he swims 15 to 20 laps, depending on how he feels. “I swim more in the summer,” he says. “My schedule makes it difficult to get out as much as I should.”
Barbieri believes so strongly in the therapeutic benefits of water that he is campaigning to have all public pools on New York’s Long Island acquire ramps, graduated stairs and water wheelchairs to ease pool accessibility for disabled persons and senior citizens. So far, his efforts have succeeded in installing accessibility equipment in the seven Nassau County Pools.
“Our goal is to sell this to all the communities on the Island, and have all their pools modified,” says Barbieri, whose current targets include the towns of Hempstead, North Hempstead and Oyster Bay. “It’s an ongoing project, and we’re interested in taking it to every village and town.
“What’s important to me is that the word gets out that disabled people are invited to these facilities,” he says. “[Many disabled persons] don’t go to the pools because they don’t think they’re welcome. We’re doing our best to change that, and tell them, ‘Yes, this is a place you can have fun with your kids and exercise.’”
Barbieri often goes out of his way to help raise accessibility awareness.
“When I go to the pool, a lot of times I make them pull me in the lift, even if I don’t need it, so people can see the electric lift,” he says. “Hopefully, [other patrons will] tell their brothers, their grandmothers, whomever, that their pool has these types of disabled-friendly devices.”
His experience with multiple sclerosis goes beyond his own affliction. “I have a sister who has MS, and unfortunately she can’t get up and walk a half a step,” Barbieri says. “However, you get her in a pool, and she can knock off five to 10 laps. “People’s jaws drop when they see her.…She goes to the pool twice a week.
“To many, [the pool] becomes the last venue where people can exercise.”
