Glossary
Pool lift
A seat-and-arm device that lowers a person with a disability into and out of a pool. Required at many public pools under the ADA.
A pool lift is a device with a seat and an arm that lowers a person into the water and lifts them back out, so people who use wheelchairs or have trouble with stairs can use the pool. It is one of the main ways public pools meet the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The 2010 ADA Standards (opens in a new tab) set minimum accessibility requirements for pools for the first time:
- large pools, with more than 300 linear feet of pool wall, must have two accessible means of entry, and at least one must be a pool lift or a sloped entry;
- smaller pools need one accessible means of entry, and it must be a pool lift or a sloped entry;
- newly built and altered pools must meet these rules, and businesses with existing pools must comply where it is readily achievable;
- state and local governments must make their swimming programs accessible to people with disabilities.
There are some exceptions, such as for clusters of spas and pools with only one entry point. If your pool's lift is missing, broken or locked away, ask the staff; accessible features must be available whenever the facility is open, according to the ADA guidance for public entities. See water safety for people with physical disabilities and adaptive swim lessons.
What you can do today: check whether your local public pool has a working lift or sloped entry.