This article discusses strata pool accessibility upgrades, outlining standards, assessment options, and practical steps for improving pool access in community and strata schemes.
Question: Our Community Association has had a petition from residents to make our community pool accessible by providing a handrail in the shallow end to get in and out of the pool easily. Is there a company that provides an assessment of the strata/community accessibility and can advise on the best solution?
Answer: If you clearly have the support of owners, organise for it to be a motion at the AGM and have it voted on.
Firstly, I think this is a great initiative and really shows and alludes to the power of a community’s spirit when they have a collective topic or passion they are working towards.
Accessibility in strata is vast and varying! Many older style schemes, particularly those of heritage buildings converted to strata have not been constructed to today’s standards or norms and we find staircases narrower and steeper, doorways smaller and not a lift in sight for most mid-1900s buildings.
Accessibility really began to be considered in the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 and was clearly defined in the national Disability (Access to Premises- Buildings) Standards 2010.
These standards came into effect in May 2011 and set out a number of requirements for new buildings (built or designed from May 2011) and their subsequent facilities e.g. pools.
Pools, other than sole occupancy type pools for class 1b, 2 or 3 buildings, have a series of requirements around accessible entry and exit but again this is factoring in pools built 2011 onwards that are of use to more than one sole occupancy dwelling. This is not a retrospective requirement for schemes with pools built prior to this period in time.
What you can argue though is that this is today’s standard and it is best practice to upgrade your facilities to this standard. If you clearly have the support of owners, organise for it to be a motion at the AGM and have it voted on.
In terms of a specialist report, you can look to consult with a disability access specialist, of which there are many or even a reputable builder depending on how large your accessibility project would be.
If it is simply installing a balustrade in the pool, a combination of reading through the standards and current building codes and working with your local pool contractor would likely be sufficient.
This post appears in Strata News #579.
Dakota Panetta Solutions in Engineering E: dakotap@solutionsinengineering.com P: 1300 136 036