DISABILITY ACCESS
Access For All
WE SPEAK TO SOME OF THE COUNTRY’S LEADING MANUFACTURERS AND SUPPLIERS OF HOISTS AND ACCESS EQUIPMENT TO FIND OUT ABOUT THE LATEST PRODUCT DEVELOPMENTS AND THE ALTERNATIVES NOW AVAILABLE
By Andrea Hartshorne
The Portable Aquatic Lift from RehaMed International
W
hether required for the vast assortment of public locations or the private home, demand for better access is increasing.
Whether it’s the freedom to exercise, have therapy or just relax, access is vital and a wider awareness and changes in the law means that disability access is a matter that needs to be addressed sooner rather than later. It’s easy to forget the other pieces of apparatus that assist the less able to enjoy time in the warm and soothing waters of swimming and therapy pools. Hand rails, gently sloping floors and ramps and equipment designed to deal with wheelchairs or body boards, the list grows each year with new innovations and inventions designed to make life just that little bit easier or to help with rehabilitation.
REHAMED PROVIDE A PORTABLE OPTION
RehaMed International quite rightly highlight the fact that one of the challenges faced by owners of swimming pools, in light of the Disability Discrimination Act legislation and Equality Act 2010, is providing disabled access to swimming facilities. As manufacturers of lifting devices for ‘any aquatic occasion’ they have equipment and expertise to ensure that the correct product is provided with the least amount of disruption. The Portable Aquatic Lift is, put simply, the easiest method of providing access to the pool for any swimmer with any physical restriction. Being completely portable it can
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be positioned anywhere around the pool and then easily stored away after use. The lift may be used without the need for any assistance, an important factor in a busy pool. Asked how the sector has fared through the economic downturn a spokesman for RehaMed said: “The reduction in the amount of new build facilities that include swimming pools and spas, together with Local Councils having to cut back on their expenditure, has obviously brought on a decline in the sales of aquatic hoists. This is not only apparent in the UK, but our European distributors report the similar situation throughout Europe.” With an array of products and options it can be a confusing area to approach. “It has become popular, in many of the new designs of hotels and leisure centres, to include swimming pools and spas. The advantage of the RehaMed products is being able to accommodate this variety. This is not possible by many of the other products in the marketplace.”
In the United States, their ADA legislation became law and every pool that can be accessed by the public, has to adhere to it. This will also include all hotels in 2013. If the UK were to enforce our DDA laws in the same way, it would open up the possibilities of many more people with physical restrictions, enjoying the benefits of swimming pools, say RehaMed.
DOLPHIN MAKE A SPLASH AT POLICE REHABILITAION CENTRE Situated in the Chiltern Hills near Goring-on-
SPN February 2013 63
Thames, the Police Rehabilitation Centre, Flint House benefited from Dolphin Mobility’s expertise and knowledge when they were called upon to install a Splash pool lift. One of the most common problems encountered when specifying a suitable pool lift for a client is the presence of a large drainage channel or gutter. If the gutter finishes more than 400mm from poolside this may cause complications if you wish to install a conventional deck mounted pool lift. Their choices were limited to a portable unit which could sit on top of the grate when in use, or a fixed unit with a long enough reach to span the gutter.
An additional requirement for the person
The Splash Extended Reach from Dolphin Mobility
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