Design A More Inclusive Aquatic Facility

Examine supporting facilities for a positive user experience

By Stephanie Fujimura

Most people who think about accessibility in aquatic facilities probably consider pool features such as lifts, ramps, and stairs. While aquatic function is the primary purpose of such a facility, they should not overlook the role that supporting facilities play in the overall user experience. A holistic facility is more inclusive and thus can be enjoyed by all users, irrespective of physical abilities.

Photo: City of Pleasant Hill

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits discrimination in several areas, including public accommodations and access to state and local government programs and services, including a municipal aquatic facility. The ADA has four primary goals: full participation, equal opportunity, independent living, and economic self-sufficiency. Determining if your facility provides individuals of various physical abilities qualified, reasonable accommodations is a good starting point for design thinking.

While parameters for accessible design have been codified by ADA along with similar regulations to accommodate specific types of limitations, this design will benefit all users because physical abilities are not static. All people experience changes—both temporary and permanent—in their abilities, due to variables such as age, injury, disorders and disease, pregnancy, and so on that may affect how individuals move through daily activities.  

Accessible design begins in the parking lot and the path from a vehicle to the facility entry, and then leads to the programmatic elements—from multipurpose rooms to lockers to pools, and of course, restrooms and showers, often the primary focus of accessibility.

Key elements in designing a more inclusive aquatic facility include the following:

1. Entries And Access

• Provide a welcoming and accessible path to the main entry, ideally at a minimum of 48 inches wide and a slope of no more than 5 percent in the path of travel and 2 percent across the path. If there are secondary entries, ensure the doors and paths to and from those points are also accessible.

• If the facility has automatic doors, be sure to provide push-button access, either adjacent to a door or on a pedestal nearby.

• Ensure that the reception desk or transaction area integrates a surface no higher than +34 inches to the top and a clear space for a wheelchair. If an individual is asked to approach an area head-on, proper knee clearance is needed. Alternatively, a side approach requires a clear 30-inch by 48-inch space outside the circulation path and adjacent to an accessible transaction surface.

2. Multipurpose Spaces

Often, multipurpose spaces are integrated into an aquatic facility to provide additional flexibility for the owner. These features may include the following:

• A counter with an accessible sink, which provides the flexibility to accommodate a wider variety of programming. To meet ADA guidelines, include lower cabinet doors and knee clearance.

• Refrigerators, dishwashers, and microwaves. These additions will also increase the flexibility of the space to support diverse programs, and should include the following:

a. ADA-compliant refrigerators. The key features are controls for fresh food and freezer space located below 54 inches.

b. Undercounter dishwashers no more than 32 inches high so they will tuck under a countertop that is no higher than +34 inches.

• An assistive listening system, known as induction loops. These consist of a copper wire connected to a room’s sound system that transfers sound directly to a hearing aid or implant. This mitigates the interference of background noise to improve one’s ability to hear clearly.

Photo: City of Sunnyvale

 3. Pool Decks And Amenities

• For the safety of young children, locate exits from a locker room, all gender or family restrooms, and changing rooms along the shallow side of the pool.

• For outdoor showers, ensure there is a shower head and associated control at an accessible height, as well as railings and a foldable seat.

• Provide seating areas on the pool deck. If benches are incorporated, provide an accessible space at the end of one of the benches for anyone in wheelchairs, enabling a person to join friends and family poolside. For bleachers, ensure that accessible spaces and companion spaces are provided and clearly designated.

• In many facilities, shaded picnic tables are a rentable amenity on the pool deck. In these cases, accessible picnic tables should be included.

• Apply these same principles to other amenities, such as lockers, drinking fountains, and concession transaction areas.

• If a facility can separate aquatic elements, like a competition pool from a splash pad, ensure that each element has its own access.

4. Programming

Consider how the primary purpose and demographics served by your facility inform accessibility: 

• Recreational swim and lessons. Multiple family restrooms and changing rooms provide parents and children a safe and comfortable space for showering and changing while reducing wait times, keeping the lines shorter.

• Therapeutic and senior programming. An adult changing room is designed to accommodate those who require the assistance of a caretaker, with integrated features like accessible showers, sinks and toilet fixtures, an adult-sized changing table with ceiling hoist, and additional circulation space.  In facilities of a certain size, this can be required by code, but these amenities should be considered even if they are not required. Many major airports, such as Chicago’s O’Hare, and other institutions have begun incorporating these features.

5. Restroom Facilities

When designing accessible restroom facilities, be sure that mirrors, hand dryers, trash receptacles, soap dispensers, coat/towel hooks, etc., are mounted per ADA regulations.

Multiple-use facilities must provide accessible accommodations. While the number of ADA showers and restroom stalls are dependent on several factors, such as overall occupancy and other restrooms/showers being provided, in general at least one toilet, shower, mirror, sink, set of coat/towel hooks, and changing space are needed to meet ADA requirements.

Single-accommodation restrooms with integrated showers, which are often intended to serve as family and all-gender restrooms, should address the following parameters to identify the best location within a facility:

• Provide direct access to and from the pool deck and other publicly accessible spaces.

• Ensure a clear line of sight from the lifeguard and/or front desk areas for enhanced safety and control.

• Integrate a card or code-access system to allow staff better control over how and when these facilities are being used for better availability.

Designing for accessibility is a mindset for any aquatic facility. This approach engenders a sense of belonging within users that will lead to increased engagement.

Stephanie Fujimura is a Principal/Senior Architect for Dahlin Group Architecture Planning. An expert in institutional and municipal architecture, she crafts thoughtful and memorable community-centric facilities for public agencies. With experience that also includes commercial, retail and office projects, Stephanie has a unique perspective from which she translates commercial innovations into value-enhancing designs that will better serve her public clients and their communities for decades to come. Her expertise in keeping at the forefront of technological advancements facilitates the firm’s delivery of state-of-the-art solutions that move projects across all sectors.