By March 2012 all existing public swimming pools and spas must have installed accessed points in their facilities that accommodate people with disabilities. Large pools with perimeter walls of 300 feet or more will need to have two access points, smaller pools and spas need have only one. Where two access points are required these may consist of a pool lift, a sloped entry, a transfer wall or a moveable staircase. All pool lifts that are installed following this legislation need to be ADA compliant and conform to the specifications laid out in the 2010 Accessible Design Act.
ADA compliant pool lifts will be battery powered and any existing lifts that are manually operated with a hand crank will need to be removed and compliant facilities installed. People with disabilities need to be able to operate the lift from within the pool and from the deck. To ensure lift stability during the transfer process from wheelchair to lift, all lifts need to be fitted with stabilizer bars, and have a seat that is at least sixteen inches wide with appropriate lumber support. Lifts should be robust enough to sustain 300 pounds weight and be capable of managing one and a half times that weight. Lifts should not be situated where the water is more than four feet deep, and the lift should be able to drop one and a half feet below water level. The seat must be sixteen inches from the pool edge whenever the seat is in a raised position and the deck space should not be obstructed when the lift is in use.
The operation of a lift should not need pressure greater than five pounds and the controls should not be obstructed at any time. Any pool that does not have an ADA compliant lift will, under the new rulings, have to have either a portable staircase of sloping entry for disabled access to the pool. The purpose behind the legislation is to make sure that public swimming pools, i.e. those in receipt of government funding or membership dues, allow for access and exit suited to people with disabilities. Any public swimming pool that does not have the required access points for people with disabilities by March 2012 could be subject to lawsuits through the federal justice system. While those who run public swimming pools and spas will have to take account of the legislation, expert opinion is that responses will vary depending on where the facilities are based.
About The Author
Sue Jeffels is a contributor for Swimtown Pools, an online pool supplies store that also carries ADA compliant pool lifts.