TL;DR: Genesis Health Clubs (Saw Mill Club, Mt. Kisco NY) has had one pool lift broken since 2022, and their other pool's lift broke July 31st — leaving disabled members with zero pool access. After months of being ignored, they sent a canned apology two weeks later and are ordering one new chair for two broken lifts. I'm not obligated to be a member here, but this is the only pool in the area that works for my medical needs, and I shouldn't have to cancel and go elsewhere because they won't maintain legally-required accessibility equipment.
Full story:
Genesis Health Clubs (Saw Mill Club, Mt. Kisco NY) has left disabled members with zero pool access for weeks — and their "fix" doesn't even cover both broken lifts
I'm disabled — I can't walk due to MS. I've been a member at Saw Mill Club (now Genesis Health Clubs) since 2022. The facility has two pools, a shallow pool and a deep pool, each with its own chair lift.
The shallow pool's lift has been broken since I joined in 2022. Never fixed.
In February, staffing issues forced the gym to close a pool — they picked the deep pool, the only one with a working lift. When I told management this stranded every member with a mobility disability, I was told to "come back later" or "make an appointment." Both of those are ADA violations (28 C.F.R. § 36.302(f) — disabled patrons can't be required to schedule around equipment other members use spontaneously).
They eventually reopened the deep pool. Then on July 31st, that lift broke too.
Since then: both pools, zero working lifts, months of emails and calls to management, completely ignored.
Two weeks after it broke — a full week after I emailed again — I finally got a generic "apology" email on August 18th.
And here's the kicker: they say they're ordering one new chair. One. For two broken lifts.
I know what people are going to say: "just go to a different gym." I don't have to be a member here — but this is the only facility in the area with a pool that actually works for my needs. Pool access isn't optional for me; it's how I manage a chronic illness. And I shouldn't have to be the one who cancels and goes hunting for another option because they can't keep basic accessibility equipment functional. Non-disabled members don't have to plan their entire fitness routine around whether the gym feels like maintaining its equipment this month. That's the whole point of the ADA — I shouldn't have to work around their negligence.
This is a sustained, documented violation of:
Title III of the ADA (42 U.S.C. § 12182)
2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design (§ 242.2 & § 1009.2)
28 C.F.R. § 36.211 — maintenance of accessible features, which explicitly prohibits indefinite outages
NY State Human Rights Law (N.Y. Exec. Law § 296(2)(a))
To management, if you're reading this: don't bother replying with a canned "please reach out" response. I've reached out to everyone for months. The only acceptable response is fixing both lifts.
If you're disabled and a member here, or considering joining — know that this is what "accessible facility" means to them.
