The club is calling a miscommunication a “teachable moment” after Cristin Millen said her family was denied entry into the club because her 8-year-old son, who is autistic, is required to wear a life jacket while swimming. Club policy does not allow flotation devices in the pool, but the club President said Millen did not request an application for membership or the necessary waiver.
An apology came from Ellington (Conn.) Ridge Country Club after a resident said the club turned her autistic son away from swimming because she wanted him to wear a safety vest, Cincinnati (Ohio)-based WXIX Fox 19 reported.
The club’s policy is that no flotation devices are allowed, but the club’s President said it is sorry for any miscommunication, WXIX reported.
Cristin Millen said her 8-year-old son, Aiden Robert, was denied access to the Ellington Ridge Country Club after she went to sign up for membership. She told the staff that her son, who is autistic, is required to wear a life jacket while swimming.
“If he had it on, it’s a simple safety measure,” Millen said.
The manager had her hold off on submitting an application until they got back to her, Millen said. When her husband called back Wednesday, employees at the country club said that Aiden could not swim in their pool, Millen told WXIX.
“The fact that a child like mine, discriminated against for a small need, it’s disheartening,” Millen said.
However, the club said Millen never submitted an application requesting a waiver to their policy of no flotation devices, WXIX reported.
“We do have a policy in place for all of our members,” said Richard Burness, President and Chairman of the Board at the club. “There are no flotation devices allowed in our pool and I hope that’s what was communicated to Mrs. Millen that is our policy.”
Burness said Millen only inquired about it and never filled one out, WXIX reported.
“We did not receive an application for membership,” Burness said. “We do not discriminate. In fact, we have a number of members who are disabled, or have family members who are disabled. And we’d make every accommodation that we could.”
Burness apologized for the miscommunication and explained the club’s policy, WXIX reported.
“Our policy is, if people have a request for waivers—and we have them all the time—we take them through the appropriate process, which involves members, not staff making recommendations to the Board, and the Board will consider it,” Burness said.
The club is expected to send Millen an email where it will request her to consider applying with a possible waiver, and said the family is welcome at the club, WXIX reported.
“We welcome anyone with disabilities,” Burness said. “We want everyone included.”
In the end, Burness said it is a “teachable moment” for the club and its employees, WXIX reported.
“The staff do a great job here and people make mistakes,” Burness said. “And we’ll use it and learn from it.”
Millen, who is a teacher, said she’s even more troubled by their lack of awareness about autism, WXIX reported.
“They need to have the conversations, that’s the sad part,” she said and added. “Kids with autism are more vulnerable to drowning because they’re attracted to the water.”
The YMCA in Ellington has offered a summer membership to Aiden to swim at the facility for free all summer long, WXIX reported.
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