Background/Purpose: Swimming pools form an integral component of comprehensive fitness centers, and it is important that these aquatic facilities are accessible to all users. This study assessed swimming pool facility accessibility according to Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) guidelines based upon a standardized site survey tool.
Method: Site visits were conducted within a randomly stratified sample of 121 community-based and university-based fitness facilities across eight Midwestern and Southwestern states. The 37 items from Section L of the Accessibility Instruments Measuring Fitness and Recreation Environments (AIMFREE) survey examined pool accessibility based upon a scaled summary score of the survey items for each pool facility.
Analysis/Results: A 3 X 2 ANOVA (facility age, facility type) analysis revealed significant differences in mean pool accessibility for facility age [F(2, 115) = 4.18, p = .018] and for age x type interaction [F(2, 115) = 3.55, p = .032]. The significant main effects of facility age were further analyzed by Bonferroni adjusted pairwise comparisons. University pools constructed post-ADA (M = 50.34, SE = 3.22) were significantly more accessible than pre-ADA (M = 40.26, SE = 3.36, p = .007), and they were also significantly more accessible than university-based pools built pre-ADA but renovated post-ADA (M = 42.47, SE = 2.68, p = .012). No main effects were determined for facility type (community-based to university-based).
Conclusions: These results demonstrate relative levels of general ADA compliance for swimming pools and provide initial descriptive and analytical data useful for improving accessibility for pools within fitness center settings.
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