Chapter 2

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

This chapter presents a review of reading materials related to the present study

that will provide background information, better insights and understanding about the

topics covered.

Related Literature

Everyone dreams of going on the ultimate vacation, a vacation of a lifetime and

wheelchair-users want this as much as anyone. We too dream of white sandy beaches

and beautiful crystal blue pools, but we also need to make sure where we go is

accessible. The good news is that there are more and more amazingly accessible

resorts opening each year, offering every level of accessibility you need to make sure

no matter what kind of disability you have, you'll still have an amazing time (as you

should be).

The following facilities are available for persons with disabilities.

A-ONE Pattaya Beach Resort - Pattaya City, Thailand - A resort

designed from the ground up with wheelchair accessibility in mind, the modern A-

ONE Pattaya Beach Resort is one of the few resorts in all of Thailand offering

completely accessible rooms. At this resort you'll find rooms that have all of

accessible features you'd expect from an ADA-compliant hotel room, as well as an

emergency call button. And a rather cool feature - the entire hotel is connected by

ramps not stairs, so you never have to worry about accessing the various levels.
 Concordia Eco-Resort - St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands - For the eco-

conscious traveller with a disability, the Concordia Eco-Resort on St. John is one of

the only eco-resorts in the world offering accessible accommodations. The purpose of

this resort is to make as little of an impact on the surrounding environment as

possible.

The property has four accessible tents with enhanced facilities, as well as solar heated

hot water showers (awesome) and lighting and fans power by a 12-volt photovoltaic

system. It also has accessible walkways and ramps throughout the lust natural

landscaping. If you're looking for a low cost way to enjoy the jungle and ocean

without any hindrances, this is it.

Resort at Squaw Creek - Lake Tahoe, California. - If you are more of a

winter person and have always wanted to try out adapted skiing, sit-skiing for those in

the know, you can't get any more chic and accessible than the Resort at Squaw creek

in Lake Tahoe. This awesome resort not only offers fully accessible rooms and fitness

center, they also have a staff trained to help guests with disabilities.

They also have a "Disabled Access Ambassador" Mario Rey, an accomplished mono-

skiier, who helps guests with disabilities navigate the property, showing them the best

places to ski, as well as equipment you can rent

in the rays of the Mediterranean, the Sirens Resort in Loutraki, Greece goes above

and beyond. This hotel offers five fully accessible rooms/apartments that can sleep

between 1 to 8 people. The units have everything you need from grab bars to roll-in

showers and accessible kitchens. They also offer rentable electric beds, shower

chairs, hoists and wheelchairs. That will sure save on your luggage costs when flying.

The real stunner of this resort however is the fully accessible beach, which is made

possible by a one-of-a-kind ramp that goes directly into the sea. Once out in the

water, you can get out of your wheelchair and float, grabbing a nearby

floated. Wheelchair taxis are also on-site and several accessible excursions are

offered

Turtle Bay - Oahu, Hawaii. - You know a resort is an accessible when

they have Life Rolls on Founder Jesse Billauer as their ADA spokesperson. Located

in Oahu, Hawaii, Turtle Bay is one of the most accessible resorts in Hawaii. This

hotel offers 13 fully accessible rooms with all the amenities and there are lifts on all

of the pools and hot tubs throughout the property. One of my favourite features of this

resort however is the accessible wheelchair golf cart to cross the huge resort. You got

to love a wc-friendly golf cart.

Freedom Shores - Isla Aguada, Mexico -Founded many years ago

by a vet injured in the Vietnam War, Freedom Shores in Isla Aguada, Mexico is

another resort built from the ground-up with wheelchair accessibility as its ultimate
goal. This resort is one of the few resorts in the world that offers on-site caregivers

too in addition to a completely accessible resort.

Roll-in showers, shower chairs are included with each room, as well as chauffeured

wheelchair accessible taxi for arriving and local excursions. To get to the beach,

they've installed in a wide promenade right next to the water and they also have an

accessible deck/dive boat if you're interested in trying out scuba diving

Hotel Tranquility Hill - Palmares, Costa Rica. - For another

accessible resort owned by a quadriplegic, the Hotel Tranquility Hill in Costa Rica

offer is the ultimate in resort accessibility. This beautiful small resort located in the

lush mountains of Costa Rica is a peaceful 1 acre space with 10 rooms, two of which

that are wheelchair accessible. And they have a brand new roll-in swimming pool,

making it incredibly easy to take a dip. Also, if you need an on-site PCA, that too is

available. Skilled nursing is also on-site

Beaches Turks and Caicos Resort.- Was designed for the absolute

comfort of all its visitors. It welcomes families, as well as adults without children.

Those with children are given the option of taking advantage of the supervised kids

programs, child-care experts, and professional nannies.

In order to best serve the guests in wheelchairs, this resort is equipped with ramps and

wheelchair accessible lifts scattered throughout the resort. It is a fully wheelchair

accessible resort with access to the beach. There are two Caribbean Premium rooms

in the resort designed specifically for wheelchair users. The bathrooms also have a
roll-in shower, rails, extended shower heads, and raised toilet seats. The bathroom

door can accommodate a wheelchair.

The resort has 19 restaurants, and all are accessible for wheelchair users except for

Sky, which is located upstairs. Another restaurant called Barefoot is located on the

beach and is accessible only with beach wheelchairs. Beach wheelchairs are subject

to availability. There is one beach wheelchair and 6 regular wheelchairs available to

rent as well as motorized scooters.

There’s a lot to do at the Turks & Caicos resort! They have all sorts of nightly

entertainment, golf, a kid’s camp, a DJ academy, an Xbox play lounge, a spa and

more! Wheelchair or not, going to this resort would be a relaxing, enjoyable

experience for everyone

ADA Standards for Swimming Pools

There are over 50 million people with disabilities in the United States, which equates

to 18% of the population – making persons with disabilities the largest minority

group. To protect this population, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was

designed to prevent discrimination against a person based on a disability. The goal of

the ADA is to provide a level playing field so that a person with a disability can

compete equally for jobs and also enjoy the same benefits of living in the United

States as a person who is able-bodied.

Often the main safety issue with an injured, disabled or elderly swimmer involves

safe entry and egress. Therefore, the most common solution is a lift. This is the

primary means of access that is a mechanical device used to transfer an individual in

and out of a swimming pool. A lift can be added to the side of an inground pool,

above ground pool, or hot tub and can be battery or water pressure powered. As of

May 15, 2012, all public swimming pools in the U.S. must be equipped with assisted

entry systems. With this American Disability Association (ADA) compliance law,

disabled Americans around the nation will be able to enjoy the health and leisure

benefits of public pools. As part of the 2010 Standards for Accessible Design,

regulations of the Accessible Design for Recreational Facilities have required all

public pools and hot tubs to be outfitted with an ADA compliant swimming pool lift

or sloped entry.

Sloped entries

Primary means of access that is ideal for facilities with a large group of ambulatory

users. A sloped entry can be a built-in entryway or a removable ramp. Facilities that

use sloped entries as a means of access are also encouraged to provide a mobile

aquatic chair designed for access into the water. Multi-purpose disability access

ramps consist of a ramp, stair and underwater parallel bars. It can easily be removed

from the pool making room for automatic cleaners and pool covers.
 Transfer Walls

A secondary means of access that allows someone to transfer onto the top of the pool

wall from a wheelchair and ease into the water. At least one grab bar should extend

the width of the top of the pool wall. This type of access is typically used in hot tubs.

Accessible Pool Stairs

This secondary type of access provides balance and support for someone entering the

pool from a standing position. Portable access ladders act as an easy-to-use staircase

that can be attached anywhere along the edge for effortless entry or exiting. They also

come with a deck adapter platform, side skirting to prevent underwater entrapment

and dolly. The staircase consists of slip-resistant tread steps.

ADA regulations affect several types of aquatic areas. These include swimming

pools, hot tubs, wading pools and other aquatic recreation facilities such as wave

pools and lazy rivers. Beaches, lakes, rivers, and catch pools are NOT affected by the

new ADA legislation. Means of access will need to be provided to the types of

aquatic areas affected by the legislation.

The newly adopted regulations define five permitted means of access for swimming

pools, including:

As part of the legislation passed by the ADA, over 100,000 commercial swimming

poolswill be required to become accessible to people with disabilities by March 15,

2012. Generally, this legislation will only affect state and local government-owned

facilities, parks and recreation departments, state-run schools and universities, as well
as hotels, health clubs, private schools and community centers. Private residences,

apartments, and condominiums are not affected, with a few exceptions:

 If an apartment complex sells memberships to their pool to people living

outside the complex, the pool IS considered public and is subject to the ADA

regulations.

 If a condominium actively rents out their units, similar to a hotel, this is also
considered a public accommodation and subject to ADA regulations.

Related Studies

Alex, A nine-year-old wheelchair user. Hobsons Bay City Council’s

Accessible Beaches Project pushes the boundaries of universal design in a complex

natural environment. In a first for Australia, beach matting is available twenty-four

hours a day seven days a week, and beach wheelchairs, including water chairs are

available at Altona and Williamstown Beaches. This universally designed

infrastructure supports people with a disability and provides universal access for older

people, those with prams, and toddlers. Most importantly, it has empowered families

of people with a disability to spontaneously share a day at the beach without having

to sit on the sidelines. Over the last two summers Council has led the way in beach

accessibility state-wide and continues to be a catalyst on a national level. Through

inter-council collaboration and with the support of many stakeholders, the beach

access movement has gained momentum and seen some fantastic wins. This

presentation will outline a four year case study capturing the trials and tribulations of

endeavouring to work towards two fully accessible beaches by 2020. A highlight this
summer was the introduction of an adult changing facility completing Altona’s

accessible hub and providing the platform to deliver activities such as accessible

snorkelling sessions to the community. Six Victorian beaches now run beach access

programs in 2018. There were none in 2015. There are huge positive health and

wellbeing impacts of having an accessible beach available, a conduit to promoting

social inclusion amongst the community, raising awareness around the needs of

people with a disability, strengthening family connections as well as enabling

independence for users – all important aspects that contribute to overall community

wellbeing. Hobsons Bay will continue to lead the way in making beaches for all by

providing the opportunity to be spontaneous and actively participate in the

community rather than watch from the sidelines.

Leduc Aquatic Centre Whirlpool — Alberta, Canada

It's not often you can find a wheelchair accessible hot tub/whirlpool, which is why we

had to include this universally-accessible whirlpool to our list. The Leduc Aquatic

Centre in Leduc, Alberta, Canada, is a beautiful whirlpool that features a circular

ramp. This allows you to gradually enter the whirlpool completely on your own, free

of any electric lift, which is nice because those aren’t the most reliable and help is

needed to operate them.

Kent State University Natatorium — Ohio

Located in Kent, Ohio, this aquatic building is part of the Kent State University

Student Recreation and Wellness Centre. It was built in 1999 and is one of the most

beautiful universally-accessible pool designs we've seen. The center has a lap pool
and a leisure pool, which are connected, and also features a beautiful circular

ramp. Furthermore, the whirlpool is only a transfer to get into.

Radisson Blu Resort Pool — Fiji

accessible pool that is located alongside the ocean — and it is quite stunning to

behold. It features a long, wide ramp that leads into the pool, and it is humongous; it

connects several pools that have bars and waterfalls. This watery oasis truly is

something to behold.

Collaroy Rockpool — Australia

Australia, there is a saltwater pool that has a beautiful ramp that almost feels like it

was created naturally. You also can spend a night at the resort, which is fully

accessible and rated one of the best in the world for wheelchair users. They offer

everything from accessible surfing to biking to electric lifts in each room.

The Reserve at Paradisus Palma Real — Dominican Republic

The Reserve at Paradisus Palma Real, a brand new, all-inclusive resort is located in

Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. This hotel has a circular zero-entry pool with a

cobalt blue pool bottom that is stunningly unreal. It also features a center whirlpool

that is completely accessible and beach chairs in the water that you can float into.

While you have to get a room at this resort to check out the pool, it definitely seems

to be worth it.
We love that zero-entry pools are now becoming the norm. As an honorable-mention,

there's a gorgeous beachfront pool located at the Atlantis resort in the Bahamas. If

you’re planning to travel soon, just search “zero-entry” or “beachfront” to find more

if you’re traveling to a certain location. These pools are popping up all over, and we

couldn’t be happier!

Eria Resort in Maleme, Crete, Greece

This hotel is specifically designed for those whose primary mode of transportation is

a wheelchair. Surrounded by olive groves and the Cretan Sea, Eria Resort in the

historic village of Maleme is a welcome respite in a country known to be particularly

difficult to get around in a wheelchair.

With prices around $100 per night, it’s true beauty on a budget. The hotel will help

you plan wheelchair-friendly excursions in an accessible minibus, which can come

get you at the airport as well. The gym has a special physiotherapy area and all rooms

have grab bars. This is also one of the best hotels with handicap showers with a

shower chair and raised toilets.

One outstanding feature of the resort is its collaboration with local pharmacists and

physiotherapists, so doctors and pharmaceutical products are at your disposal if

you’ve come to relaxing Greece to help out your health. Additionally, the hotel has all

kinds of different wheelchairs available for rent, and there is a ramp leading into the

pool so you can head in with your chair!