Rehabmart News and Notices

July 28, 2010 - EVERYBODY IN THE POOL

On July 23rd, 2010, Attorney General Eric Holder signed final regulations revising the Justice Department's ADA regulations. The new revisions will require pools, wave pools, lazy rivers, kiddie pools and spas to have accessible means of entry/exit for people with disabilities. These new rules will take effect in 6 months and compliance will be required within 18 months of when it is published in the Federal Register, which was July 26, 2010.

What does this mean? I wrote recently an article about Pool Lifts which are offered by RehabMart.com,  where I said that if you visited a public pool and it did not have a pool lift then the facility manager should be notified due to the large number of people that are in need of a pool lift. Well, according to this new law just passed, the ADA ( Americans with Disabilities Act) Adoption of the 2010 Standards for Accessible Design focuses on scoping (of, or involving an investigation or discussion to determine the effect a proposed policy or project would have on a community or the local environment) and technical requirements for accessibility to buildings and facilities by individuals with disabilities. 

The summary of changes of this regulation which reflect public pools are: 

Swimming Pools, Wading Pools, and Spas (Sections 242, 1009)

Accessible means of entry/exit are required for swimming pools. Such accessible means of entry include a pool lift or sloped entry, and either a transfer wall, transfer system, or pool stairs. Wading pools must provide a sloped entry, and spas must provide a pool lift, transfer wall, or transfer system. Wave action pools, leisure rivers, and sand bottom pools where user access is limited to one area shall not be required to provide more than one accessible means of entry, either a pool lift, sloped entry, or a transfer system.