My family was staying in Berkeley Springs for a few days. My brother uses a wheelchair due to being paraplegic from a childhood injury, but my sons and I wanted him to experience the springs the same way that we do. So my two strong teenage sons and I lifted him out of his chair and gently lowered him into the channel where the water flows. He’s watched my kids play in the springs for years, and has never been able to experience it for himself. He loved it, but afterward needed a place to change clothes (he wore his dry bathing suit from the house, but now the wet clothing could soak his cushioned seat and cause him a rash in sensitive areas). Well, we hadn’t thought this far ahead, so I walked into the Roman Baths to ask for advice. Without a moment’s thought or the mention of a fee they immediately offered for him to use the spa that had extra space for such a person with disabilities, and by the time I went out to get him, they had placed stacks of clean, warm towels in case he needed them. By the nature of the mountains, being mobility-challenged is even more disabling, but these folks saw it as an opportunity to help someone who otherwise could never have enjoyed what most folks take for granted in their community. We left a tip, but it could never repay their kindness to a stranger.
