As many people know, in September of 2010 the Department of Justice issued a new set of ADA Standards. The standards have left many private and public aquatics facilities wondering what the standards are and how they apply. The whole idea behind the movement and new regulations is the removal of barriers for people with disabilities. The 2010 Standards for Accessible Design provide accessibility standards which set minimum requirements for facilities to be readily usable by individuals with disabilities. The standards were designed for all kinds of facilities, from hotels and schools, to event centers and medical care facilities, jails and recreational facilities, and of course, your pool.
When it comes to aquatic facilities, compliance can be easy, and there is a real and immediate mandate for change. The 2010 ADA Standards require that all commercial pools, new and existing, have at least one accessible means of entry – either a pool lift or a sloped entry. And there is a timeline – March 15, 2012.
There are many more details about the ADA Standards and the equipment that can make a pool compliant. Our website – compliantpools.com – is a great place to start your research. As manufacturers of ADA compliant pool lifts, the creation of the new standards has been a rollercoaster ride for us as well! We receive many questions about how the standards apply and work closely with the Access Board and the Department of Justice to fully understand the ins and outs of the ADA Standards and the spirit in which they were set. As we receive new questions we will blog about them here. Feel free to submit any questions you have to info@compliantpools.com. We’d love to help you navigate the waters.
