Modern times call for innovative solutions. This especially applies to the pool industry, where businesses facing notoriously high overhead costs are under pressure to either evolve with current demands or get left behind. Today, state-of-the-art aquatic facilities need to better adapt to the changing world around them—and a painfully evident part of this change is the rising cost of nearly everything. Strategies to offset such changes often include designs to make the facility more energy efficient, easy to operate, and more accessible to the people using them.
Participation drives revenue, therefore, accessibility has become an increasingly vital aspect despite being historically overlooked. The progression of aquatics access has been a long-fought battle for people with disabilities, and although most would agree there is still a long way to go, there are several noteworthy achievements which have brought pools to where they are today.1
Water- to battery-powered pool lifts
When it comes to pool access, the first major milestone was in 1980, when the first water-powered pool lift was introduced. While this design was a major development, it had its limitations. For instance, water hoses feeding the lift became tripping hazards and were eventually removed by running the water lines under the pool deck. The downside to this was a costly and permanent installation, which could later present issues if repairs were needed. In addition, they required a specific water pressure which was not always easy to achieve, and the design required a portion of the lift to remain in the water, leaving it susceptible to corrosion. All these factors influenced the shift from water-powered lifts and spurred the demand for simpler battery-powered lifts, which could sit on the pool deck, out of the water, and be removed from the deck when needed.
Thus, the first battery-powered lift was introduced in 1997, years after the signing of the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which had not yet specified pool accessibility requirements. This first generation of battery-powered pool lifts were a marked improvement and solved many issues from their water-powered predecessors, but they fell short in terms of appearance and the overall attractiveness on the pool deck.
