ADA Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What is ADA?
A.  The Americans with disabilities act (ADA) is a wide-ranging civil rights law that prohibits discrimination based on disability.  Enforcement if ADA laws are carried out by the Department of Justice (DOJ).

 

Q.  Which parts of ADA are relevant for swimming pools?
A. Title II (Public Industry): Title II prohibits disability discrimination by all public entities at the local and state levels: Example of Title II would be: School Districts, Municipalities, Cities, and Counties.

A.  Title III (Private Industry): Title III prohibits disability discrimination by any place of public accommodation (commercial facilities).  Example of Title III would be: Lodging, Recreations, Educations, Transportation, Etc.

 

Q.  What are the swimming pool specific requirements?
A.  Both Title II and III are required to provide “accessible means of entry for pools”.   Larger pools (>300 linear feet) require at least two means of access and smaller pools (<300 linear feet) require at least one means of access. 

 

Q.  Are there service requirements for ADA equipment?
A.  Yes, there is a “Maintenance of Accessible Features” provision which states that “a public accommodation shall maintain in operable working condition those features of facilities and equipment that are required to be readily accessible to and usable by persons with disabilities.”  Contact us for a copy of a Maintenance Log

 

Q.  What are permitted means of access?
A.  Pool lifts and sloped entries are the required primary means of access for swimming pools.  Additional means of access are recognized (i.e. Transfer Walls, Transfer Systems, Stairs) but only as secondary measures.  Pool Lifts and sloped entries may also be used to meet secondary means of access requirements.

PERMITTED MEANS OF ACCESSS
MEANS OF ACCESS	Pool	Sloped	Transfer	Transfer	Stairs
	Lift	Entry	Wall	System
APPLICATION TYPE	Primary (secondary)		Secondary
Swimming Pool	X	X
<300 Linear Feet (1 means of access required)
Swimming Pool  >300 Linear Feet (2 means	X	X	X	X	X
of access required - 1 must be a primary means)
Wave action, lazy river, and other pools	X	X		X
where user entry is limited to one area
Wading Pools		X
Spas	X		X	X

 

Q.  What are my Blue Dot Pools accessibility options?
A.  We have several lifts available to you.

 

Q.   Is there a Tax incentive for improving accessibility?
A.  Yes, two Federal tax incentives are available to businesses to help cover the cost of making access improvements for customers with disabilities.

 

Q.  Where can I learn more about swimming pool accessibility?

A.  You can register for updates or visit www.ADA.gov