If you, someone in your family or guests who come to your home are handicapped, you need a swimming pool that is handicap friendly. However, you don't have to sacrifice style to achieve this. Instead, you can work with a custom pool designer to create any of the following options:
1. Sloped beach entry
If someone wants to roll their wheelchair into your pool, you need a sloped entry. However, you don't have to have a boring concrete sloped entry. Instead, you can have a custom pool designer put in a beach slope.
You, your family or your guests can roll right up to the water and virtually dive in from the wheelchair. This type of entry also helps to accommodate people with disabilities related to walking steadily or taking the stairs.
2. Warm-water therapy pools
For people with joint or muscular stiffness, warm water can be very therapeutic. You can install an extra strong pool heater and just turn it up before you want to use the warm water in the pool.
Alternatively, you can work with a custom pool designer to create a series of small pools on the edges of your main pool that are warmer than the rest of your pool For example, if you have rocks and waterfall features, you can use those to define separate spaces in your pool, and you can heat each one independently of the rest of your pool.
Ideally, you should ensure these small areas are large enough for a bit of stretching or yoga.
3. Wave feature
In addition to warm therapeutic mini-pools integrated into your swimming pool, consider creating a space for a wave feature. In particular, you want an infinity wave. These work like treadmills. However, instead of running, you simply swim against the current, and you can swim indefinitely.
If you are wheelchair bound, this can be a great way to work on your upper body strength. However, as you restrict the wave to a small area, you don't have to worry about creating a pool large enough to accommodate traditional lap swimming. Rather, you can tastefully make use of the space you have.
4. Integrated workouts
You can also create workout opportunities for yourself or other handicapped people in your pool. For example, if you are a paraplegic, you can ask your designer to add bars for pull ups if you want to work on your upper body. Alternatively, if you are rehabilitating from an accident or knee injury, you can install stationary bicycles under the water to help you have a low impact workout.
Again, none of these features have to distract from the style of your custom designer pool. Instead, you can have your designer make caves and coves and integrate the workout elements discreetly into those features.
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