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Get the most interesting and important stories from the University of Pittsburgh.The Recreation and Wellness Center serves as a Pittsburgh campus nexus not only for physical fitness but also for esports, emotional well-being support and even outdoor gear rentals. The offerings are so wide-ranging that, at first glance, you may not notice the numerous ways accessibility is prioritized in the center, from its overall design to providing exercise machines with adaptive settings.
The rec center was envisioned to meet the needs of all Pitt students and to set them up for success, said Dorothy Stromdahl, associate director of facilities and operations in the Division of Student Affairs.
“The goal from day one was to create a facility whose built environment and operating culture challenged traditional physical and mental barriers to recreation and fitness,” she added.
The accessibility considerations throughout the center give every person a chance to participate, said Danny Shanholtzer (pictured above), an undeclared sophomore in the Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences who uses a wheelchair.
“Providing adaptive recreation equipment and adaptive sports opportunities allows people with disabilities to focus on what they can do as opposed to what they can’t do. It allows them to be themselves,” he said.
Pittwire sat down with Stromdahl to get her insights into the Recreation and Wellness Center’s (RWC) accessibility features and advice on how students can get started using adaptive exercise equipment.
The following interview has been edited for length and clarity.
What aspects of the center’s architecture were designed with accessibility in mind?
The short answer is all of it, including the building’s location. The RWC is a pivotal piece toward making the entire campus accessible. One of the challenges of the Pittsburgh campus is the incline of its hillside — it’s a barrier to reaching upper campus from lower campus. The RWC serves as an accessible entry point: Someone can enter the rec center on O’Hara Street, take an express elevator to the fifth floor, and, upon exiting the building, follow a path that leads to the entrance of the Petersen Events Center. That’s a game changer for the Pitt community.
As you move throughout the interior, you’ll notice that the entire building flows. The flooring is consistent from space to space; there are no step-downs and we use limited doors so the spaces feel open. And all five of the entrance turnstiles meet ADA standards.
What kind of adaptive fitness equipment is available?
Some of our exercise machines are adjustable so people without use of all their extremities may operate them; we also offer exercise machines with specialized handgrips and movable seats, allowing people in wheelchairs to use the equipment without transferring out of their chair. There are also wheelchair-accessible lockers located throughout the RWC.
The spinning studio and esports lounge feature adaptive equipment, too. Students can take a spinning class using our hand-operated bike, and students can play esports using a single-handed controller.
The Aquatic Center has both a chairlift with an attached remote and a ramp to access the pool. A water wheelchair is also available to students.
Even our climbing wall has adaptive harnesses available for wheelchair users. And for students with color blindness, climbing wall staff can lay a route of high-contrast, colored handholds, so climbers can distinguish between them when scaling the wall.
How can students use adaptive exercise equipment?
The first step for any student interested in getting to know the RWC is to stop at the member services desk for a tour. We also offer specialized tours to address unique situations; for instance, last spring we conducted a tour for students with visual impairments so they could get comfortable with the space and establish a routine navigating the building.
There are also staffers on each floor, identified by their gold or blue polo shirts, who are trained in how to use and adjust the exercise equipment to fit a student’s needs. The instructors leading fitness classes are trained in offering adaptations and modifications, including how to use the hand bike in the spinning studio.
Students interested in using the adaptive harness for the climbing wall can participate in adaptive climbing nights throughout the semester or request a private session under the Outdoor Adventures and Pursuits heading.
You’ve been part of the RWC team from its early planning stages to day-to-day operations. What have you learned?
I’ve realized that small details make a big difference. During the planning stage, when faced with a choice between two design options, we chose the more accessible option without hesitation. We wanted to go beyond what is expected, because building codes set the bar at a bare minimum. We were intentional about comfort, and comfort requires an extra level of investment. Taking that kind of care was worth it in the long run.
Photography by Aimee Obidzinski, except as noted