DISABILITY ACCESS
Allowing Dignified Access For All Easy access to facilities is a legal requirement for swimming pools and leisure centres across the country and commercial operators need to ensure that people with a disability have the same opportunities to use swimming pool facilities as their able-bodied counterparts. This issue, we take a closer look at disability access products, technologies and systems that are delivering access for all in commercial and increasingly domestic environments By Jon Wadeson
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evelopments and advances in design and technology mean that lifts and access systems for swimming pools, spas and hot tubs are no different than other sectors within the wet leisure industry and disability access products are continually evolving with improvements to both the lifting units themselves and the various accessories that accompany them. New and improved materials and technologies have allowed product designers to improve what’s on offer and provide equipment for the ever-changing market of access. Whether the enhancements are needed due to advances in medical procedures, to accommodate increases in clients’ weight or to provide dignity and reassurance to people wanting simply to enjoy wet leisure facilities, there are companies dedicated to improving the lives of everyone who wishes to experience the relaxing and buoyant waters of swimming pools or the therapeutic and invigorating environment found in spas and hot tubs – and we take a closer look at the market in 2022.
be an undignified means of access which can often draw unwanted attention from other pool users. Poolpod allows disabled people to enter the pool quickly and easily without having to make a transfer from a wheelchair at the poolside. Its clever design means the pool lift is quick, yet smooth and comfortable and doesn’t require involvement from the pool attendant. Bespoke pool lift chairs allow users to transfer within the privacy of the changing facility and use Poolpod for getting into and out of the swimming pool. The pool lift is independently operated by Poolpod proximity wristbands and with a maximum working load of 250kg allowing for multi-occupant lifting, it is perfect for disability classes and swimmers who need extra support. The system controls do not discriminate against persons with left or right side injuries or users with visual impairment or motor control problems. Poolpod can be retrofitted in a matter of hours and, being mobile,
can easily be moved between locations on the poolside or removed altogether for competitions or swimming events.
THE PANDA POOL LIFT FROM DOLPHIN MOBILITY Dolphin Mobility, one of the UK’s leading suppliers of pool lifts, has been supplying the popular Panda Pool Lift for a number of years. Manufactured by Italian company Digi Project, The Panda Pool Lift is one of the most advanced lifts available. With a unique powered drive propulsion system similar to a powered pallet truck which makes it very easy to move into position at poolside. The chair can be lowered into the water by an attendant using the control on the tiller or by the user themselves, by means of the optional hand control. With a maximum lift capacity of 145kg and the ability to lower 900mm from the edge of the pool, most swimmers should be suitable to use the lift and with 100 lifts
ELIMINATE POOLSIDE WHEELCHAIR TRANSFERS WITH POOLPOD Poolpod is an extremely cost-effective swimming pool lift that enables dignified, independent access for any swimmer who finds using current pool access difficult or inappropriate. It has revolutionised the swimming experience for a number of wheelchair users and people with mobility impairments. The Equality Act (previously the Disability Discrimination Act or DDA) requires that all service providers make ‘reasonable adjustments’ to ensure that people with a disability have the same access as their ablebodied counterparts. In the case of access to swimming pools, this was typically achieved using a pool surround mounted hoisting mechanism to lower the bather into the water. Feedback from disabled swimmers suggests that this can sometimes
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Poolpod enables dignified, independent access for any swimmer who finds using current pool access difficult or inappropriate
www.swimmingpoolnews.co.uk 12/06/2022 22:33