A new aquatic lift at the National Sports Centre promises to give those with mobility problems the chance to enjoy the water once again.

The lift was unveiled this afternoon at the Aquatic Centre in Devonshire and will be used to lower seniors and people with disabilities into the pool with minimal help.

For people like Cornell Bailey, who suffered significant physical challenges after a horrific road collision, the lift means revisiting his favourite hobby for the first time in years.

His 67-year-old mother, Scherene, explained: “We love the water and most times Cornell is not able to go in the water. He comes with us, but he’s not able to come in.

“We used to have a water chair which we always took with him to the beach, but after a while the wheels corroded and everything went out, so it left Cornell not being able to go into the water. “This is just another opportunity to just bring him to the water.”

In March 2011, Mr Bailey was involved in three-way traffic collision that left him with life-changing spinal injuries at just 17.

The incident, which happened just three months before his high-school graduation, left him using a wheelchair to move and a keyboard to communicate.

Mr Bailey’s parents looked after him around the clock until his father, Cornell Bailey Sr, suffered a stroke in 2023 that also required a wheelchair.

Ms Bailey said she now looks after her family with the help of her daughter, Kenisha Dill, and granddaughter, Zoriahnna Francis.

“It’s a process,” Ms Bailey said. “It’s a life-changing event that nobody was looking forward to. “With God’s help, we just do what we have to do.”

The lifting chair was ordered in a joint effort between the Ministry of Youth, Social Development and Seniors, and the Ministry of Tourism, Transport, Culture and Sport.

Users are strapped into a seat and use a corded remote to raise or lower themselves in and out of the water. The lift must operate from a metal grate in the lower end of the pool.

Tinée Furbert, the Minister of Youth, Social Development and Seniors, said the lift aligned Bermuda with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities by making public spaces more accessible.

She added that, although the lift was modest, its impact on others’ lives would be anything but.

She explained: “For persons with disabilities, older adults and others who need assistance entering or leaving a pool, accessibility is not an added convenience.

“It is the difference between being included and being excluded, between taking part and being asked to watch from the sidelines.”

Ms Furbert said her ministry may consider ordering another lifting chair if the demand is high enough.

She added that she was in early talks to bring mobile chairs to public beaches to extend access to Bermuda’s waters.

Ms Furbert said: “Above all, this is about the people whose lives will be enriched by having equal access to this facility.

“It is about the child with a disability who should be able to learn to swim alongside friends.

“It is about the adult who should be able to join an aquatic programme with confidence and dignity.

“It is about the older adult who should have every opportunity to remain active, connected and independent.

“It is about families who deserve to see their loved ones welcomed, supported and included in the same opportunities as everyone else.”

Ms Dill, Mr Bailey’s sister, encouraged families whose members required daily assistance to seek help.

The 49-year-old said: “I think a lot of times people are not aware that there are various resources on the island.

“You do have to do a bit of research and investigating, but there are helping agencies that are available. We’ve found that, if there’s something that they don’t have, they can direct you to somewhere that may or how you can get access to those resources.”

Her 19-year-old daughter added: “When you don’t do enough research and you have people in positions, a lot of people get easily discouraged. Bermuda’s so limited with what we have, so this lift is a gateway.”

• Those who wish to use the lift must inform the Aquatic Centre ahead of time by e-mailing Stephanie Kemp at skemp@nsc.bm. Use of the lift is free, though all attendees pay an entry fee.