At the very core of their design principle, pools are meant to be inviting and beautiful; they are a small oasis amidst of the stress of everyday life. It is understandable why aquatic designers, resort owners, and pool owners would want their pool lift to match this overall esthetic. Unfortunately, there is a lack of desire to have a pool lift at all. “How can we make this invisible?” and “I do not need this, no one ever uses it,” are two examples of the biggest problems facing pool access today. By and large, the biggest hurdle pool access faces to this day is the desperate need for very big shift in societal perspectives.
Pool access needs to be de-stigmatized
It is the elephant in the room, but it begs discussion all the same. Part of the evolution of access in aquatic facilities is a slow but certain realization: the pool industry is simply not serving a “one-size-fits-all” population. With acts such as ADA and the introduction of the Accessible Canada Act in 2019, pool facilities must abide to rules and regulations to cater to every demographic.
One billion people, which is around 15 per cent of the world’s population, have a disability; making them the “world’s biggest minority.”2 What many people do not understand is how disabilities can take countless different forms—many of which are not visible to the naked eye. Often, people think of pool lifts and the need for pool access and immediately imagine a wheelchair user, when, in fact, only a small percentage of people with disabilities use wheelchairs.
The integration of barrier-free access
To widen the scope of these perspectives, it is important to recognize the spectrum of people who need barrier-free access. For example, the aging population might have a hard time getting around, or people who have recently undergone surgery and need aquatic therapy, veterans who have lost limbs, or someone with multiple sclerosis who is having a particularly weak day—all these people could benefit from barrier-free pool access.
For them and many others, there is a flutter of excitement for these modern facilities aiming to accommodate as many people and abilities as possible. It is a positive sign indicating how the industry is headed in the right direction, but also a metaphorical “last call” for existing facilities who have yet to see the importance of aquatics access.
Inclusion is not simply a diplomatic gesture; it is the key to the industry’s growth.
Notes
1 “The history of the ADA did not begin on July 26, 1990, at the signing ceremony at the White House. It did not begin in 1988 when the first ADA was introduced in congress. The ADA story began a long time ago in cities and towns throughout the United States when people with disabilities began to challenge societal barriers that excluded them from their communities, and when parents of children with disabilities began to fight against the exclusion and segregation of their children.” Arlene Mayerson, The History of the Americans with Disabilities Act, DREDF.org, 1992.
2 Refer to Humanity & Inclusion Canada to learn more. https://www.hi-canada.org/en/one-billion-people-with-disabilities-the-world-s-biggest-minority.
Author
Marley Cunningham is the director of marketing at Aqua Creek Products in Missoula, Montana. She can be reached by email at mcunningham@aquacreek.com.
