Blog for Access Day: What happens when you can no longer use the pool ladder

[firecat]

Compared to the access issues of a lot of people this isn't a big deal, but it's what's going on for me.

I'm 49 years old and mobility impaired—I often have sore joints and muscles that limit the distance I can walk and the kinds of movement I can do.

I love swimming because it's the only exercise that doesn't hurt. I like cool water for swimming. I love swimming outdoors in all (San Francisco Bay Area) weather. So for years I have been swimming laps at Rinconada Pool in Palo Alto. (I don't live there; they allow non-residents to swim for a slightly higher fee.) The lap lanes at Rinconada are not crowded at the times I like to swim. People of all ages swim laps at Rinconada.

But today I am looking for a new place to swim.

Why? Because the only way to get in and out of Rinconada Pool is via metal ladders set into the side of the pool.

I've been having difficulty using the metal ladders for several years, but I've always managed to haul myself out on the first try, until last Friday. Last Friday, I failed twice to climb out using the ladder. I think it was a combination of things. One of my knees was bugging me so I was trying not to put too much strain on it. Also, it's recreation swim season, and the pool is seeing heavier use, and the ladder was slippery, probably from sunscreen grease. I couldn't get a secure grip with my hands.

The first time I fell, some children nearby asked if I was OK and I said yes. But other than that, no one offered to help me and no one seemed to notice me, even though I was standing with my hands on the ladder for several minutes. I finally managed to climb out.

Palo Alto makes another pool available during the summer months. The web page doesn't tell me whether it's indoor or outdoor, or what methods of access it has.

http://www.cityofpaloalto.org/depts/csd/news/details.asp?NewsID=1133&TargetID=267

I looked up other local public pools. There are two in San Mateo, one of which is accessible, according to the web site. The same web site says that one of the pools is open year round, but the San Mateo Activity Guide for Fall 2011 states that after this summer both pools will be closed until June 2012.

http://www.cityofsanmateo.org/index.aspx?NID=627

There is a third option in San Mateo - Highland Recreation District pool. It costs quite a lot—$100 registration fee plus $30 per month. They have an extensive web site but I had to phone to find out whether the pool was accessible. I was told they have a set of stairs that they can put into the pool if you need them.

http://www.highlandsrec.com/

There's a pool in Burlingame, the Burlingame Aquatic Center, that the web site claims is accessible and open year round. Burlingame is a pretty long drive for me. The lap swim hours are limited in the summer.

hhttp://www.burlingame.org/Index.aspx?page=780

There are two facilities in Menlo Park. Belle Haven is stated on the web site to be accessible. It's open only in the summer. Burgess is open year round. There's no info on the web site about the accessibility of the Burgess pools. I phoned the main number of the company that runs these pools. The person who answered the phone didn't know whether the pool was accessible. He transferred me to Burgess Pool's number. I got an answering machine. I found Burgess Park on Google Maps and zoomed in far enough to determine that there are two pools and one of them appears to have stairs; the other one either doesn't have them or they aren't visible in the photo. The one that has stairs is the smaller pool that's heated to 87 degrees. The larger pool is heated to 80 degrees.

http://www.menloswim.com/

Because I have enough money, I also have the option of joining a private gym that has a pool. I used to belong to the YMCA, and I know they have a pool at their Redwood City facility with access via stairs. I'm not thrilled about joining an organization with a Christian focus, but when I belonged before, they didn't proselytize. The fees are $100 to register plus $65 per month, which includes babysitting services. They do offer financial assistance, apparently.

http://www.ymcasv.org/sequoia/

Comments

[jinian]

I doubt anything would happen immediately if you told them the problem and perhaps your eventual decision, but I do think it would be a good idea to edit this a bit and send it to the Parks Department. I'm sorry to hear that people were so unhelpful when you were having trouble.

[firecat]

Yes, I should do that. Thanks.

I have to admit I was of two minds whether I wanted help.

[jesse_the_k]

Oh, pool time is so precious! I am so sorry to hear that your "home" pool no longer accommodates you.

I'm guessing that lots of California pools were built long before the ADA; the ADA guidelines on pools weren't published until 2000-something. The "add in" steps were all the rage in the 80s; they're 6 to 8 shallow, anti-slip resin stairs with sturdy handrails on both sides.

When it comes to finding pool info, my #1 source is the Swimmers' Guide Online
http://www.swimmersguide.com/

I think it started as a gopher resource.


Here's a kluge that comes to my tinkerer's mind:

Would it be possible to rig a rope "seat" so you could use your weight to pull you up the ladder? I'm thinking of a nice 1-inch diameter marine rope, which won't be slippery. One half would drape over each handrail, with a loose loop for your lovely butt. You could then pull the rope under the rail (creating a lever) so that your knees wouldn't be carrying much weight.

I live in a state with more lakes than pools: most of the municipal pools are quite recent and it's so great to have a facility that one can actually use. Perhaps coincidentally, the Federal ADA standards don't require ramps (aka zero depth entries) on smaller pools. If the pool is big enough to have two guards, then it has to meet the standards. Conveniently, a guard would have offered assistance and awaited your response. (I hope.)

[adrian_turtle]

I have tremendous sympathy with those mixed feelings about wanting help. I often encounter an uncomfortable gap between being able to do something by myself with available materials, and feeling justified in asking for help.

I agree with Jinian that it would be a good idea to send some version of this account to the Parks Department. Although they're unlikely to respond by quickly installing a ramp (or even a low stairway), they might be able to improve the grip surfaces on the ladders.

[evilawyer]

This is such a shame. Surely there must be some way to make a ladder non-skid, or some type of modified ladder that could be used. You would think that cities and towns on a relatively affluent area like the Peninsula (I know, every place is broke now, but some places aren't as broke as others) would be conscious of this issue for reasons of wanting to appear politically correct if nothing else. I remember, years back, having trouble getting my mother's wheelchair over what San Mateo laughingly thought of as wheelchair ramps on the city sidewalks downtown. The lips in some places were over 3-1/2 inches high; I have no idea how people using motorized wheelchairs were able to manage it as I had to tip my mom up into the air to get the front wheels over the hump.

Practical suggestion, although it shouldn't have to be made: Have you checked out the JCC in Palo Alto? I don't know if the pool over at the facility on Charleston and San Antonio is indoor or outdoor, but it's only a few years old. I would think they would have had to meet ADA codes that are a bit newer than what Parks & Recreation were operating under at the time their pools were constructed.

[firecat]

It wasn't so much a matter of feeling not justified in asking for help as not wanting to deal with the extra embarrassment involved in being the giant fatty who can't get out of the pool on zir own.

I'll definitely make the suggestion about the grip surface on the ladder, thanks!

[firecat]

Thanks for the resource and the kludge!

This pool has about half a dozen guards in the summer and one was standing nearby but not noticing me (or pretending not to). Given how many kids were in the pool, I don't have a problem with her not having noticed me on her own.

[beaq]

Those ladders are horrible.

[zeborah]

One of many many reasons why things should be designed so that asking for help is unnecessary.

[eggcrack]

I hope you'll find a new pool to use as soon as possible. It's unfortunate when the most convenient service turns out not to fulfill your needs.

[firecat]

Yes, indeed.

[firecat]

I should write to them and ask about a non-skid ladder. They posted a survey a few months ago asking for feedback and I mentioned I thought there should be some alternative ways to get out of the pool.

Thanks for the JCC suggestion!

[nitoda]

Every pool should have one of these: http://www.jacksons-camping.co.uk/swimming/pool-lift.htm

Our local pool has something similar but not quite so snazzy. I'd have thought it was a minor expense to make such things available at pools and that the ADA would cover that kind of provision, but who am I to understand how things work in California?

[firecat]

Apparently some of the pools have it but don't advertise having it. (One of the pools I visited had no such thing visible, but someone mentioned seeing it in use in a Yelp review.)

[deirdre]

I need to get to a pool at some point.