Limited Mobility? Fantastic Handicap Pool Features for a Backyard Pool Design Everyone Can Enjoy
A backyard swimming pool should never become something you sit beside while everyone else gets to enjoy it. For someone who depends on a wheelchair or lives with limited mobility, building a pool often comes with a different set of questions.
Can I reach the water easily?
How will I get in my pool?
Can I get back out of my pool without help?
What if my mobility changes five years from now?
Can I exercise in the water for therapy?
Will all these accessibility features make my backyard look like a rehabilitation facility?
At Burton Pools & Spas, these are exactly the kinds of conversations we want homeowners to have with us. As a Midwest authority on ADA and handicap pool accessibility, we would love to design an aquatic space for you to enjoy at home.
Limited Mobility and Handicap Accessible Residential Pools
An accessible pool is not one specific shape or one piece of pool equipment. It is a swimming pool and backyard designed around how you move, what makes you comfortable, what you would like to do independently, and how your abilities could change in the future.
Burton has spent more than 48 years designing and building swimming pools, and our custom inground pool options include gunite, fiberglass, vinyl liner, and plunge pools. Custom gunite construction in particular gives our designers tremendous freedom to adjust shape, size, depth, entry areas, seating, and other features around any homeowner. And when we say that we care how you enjoy your home and your backyard, we truly mean it.
Already have a backyard pool that no longer works well for you? That conversation matters, too. Burton Pools & Spas also provides pool renovations and remodeling, which can open the door to mobility and accessibility improvements without starting over with an entirely new backyard.
Here are 16 questions we believe every homeowner should be able to ask when planning a handicap accessible pool or modifying an existing one.
1. “Can My Wheelchair or Mobility Device Get Close Enough to the Water?”
Pool accessibility starts long before you reach the water.
A beautiful accessible pool does little good if there is a step outside the back door, a narrow gate, an uneven walkway, loose gravel, or patio furniture blocking the route to it.
That is why your Burton pool builder in Northwest Arkansas, Southwest Missouri, or Southeastern Oklahoma can look at the entire backyard, not simply the pool shell. Wider walkways, easier transitions, thoughtfully positioned gates, accessible pool decking, open patio layouts, and generous maneuvering space can make the trip from the house to the water much more comfortable.
For some homeowners, a beach entry or zero-entry pool can create an even more gradual transition into the water. Burton Pools & Spas has designed beautiful beach-entry pools, and our pool gallery shows how accessibility-minded features can still be part of an attractive custom design.
The goal is not simply an accessible pool. It is a handicap-friendly backyard that works from the back door all the way to the water.
2. “How Am I Actually Going to Get In and Out of My Pool?”
This is one of the first questions many people ask, and the right answer is different for every homeowner.
Traditional pool ladders can be difficult or impossible for someone with limited leg strength, balance concerns, paralysis, arthritis, or other mobility limitations.
Options can include:
- A residential ADA pool lift
- A sloped or beach entry
- Wide, non-slip entry steps
- Strategically placed pool handrails
- In-water ADA compliant grab bars
- Transfer areas
- Built-in seating near an entry point
- Pool safety equipment and accessories that aid entry
For a home pool, the Burton team can discuss which type of entry makes sense for your abilities, transfer method, pool design, backyard, and desired level of independence.
The question is not “Which handicap pool feature should everyone have?”
It is “How do you get into your pool most comfortably?”
Then we design from there.
3. “Will I Have to Ask Someone for Help Every Time I Want to Swim?”
For many homeowners, independence is one of the biggest reasons accessible pool design matters.
You may not want to call your spouse every time you want to get into the water. You may not want your adult child to physically help you out after every swim. You may simply want the freedom to use your own backyard when you feel like it.
Depending on your mobility and abilities, the Burton pool design team can explore design features that reduce the amount of assistance required, if that meets your needs.
For one homeowner, that might mean a residential pool lift positioned where transfers are easiest. For another, it could mean broad steps or a pool ramp with sturdy rails. Someone else may be most comfortable with a gradual beach entry or pool floor without a slope.
Some people will always benefit from assistance, and there is nothing wrong with designing for that either. The important part is planning enough space around the pool for a spouse, family member, or caregiver to provide help comfortably.
Accessibility can mean independence. It can also mean making assistance easier, safer, and more dignified when assistance is wanted.
4. “Are There Pool Designs That Can Help Me Not Slip?”
Wet surfaces can be intimidating when balance or stability is already a concern.
Accessibility planning should include your pool patio and surrounding deck, not simply the swimming pool.
Surface selection, drainage, slope, transitions, and handrail placement can all affect how confident someone feels moving around the backyard.
For a new pool, these choices can be discussed from the beginning. For an older pool, replacing or resurfacing slick, deteriorated, or uneven decking may be an important part of making the area easier to navigate.
Burton’s pool renovation services include decking and hardscape improvements with options such as concrete, pavers, and stamped overlays. We can install slip-resistant surface options as part of your pool renovation work.
5. “Will I Feel Safe Once I Am in the Swimming Pool?”
Getting into the water is only part of the equation.
Some homeowners worry about fatigue. Others are concerned about losing their balance or reaching a part of the pool where they can no longer comfortably stand.
This is where pool depth and interior design become important.
A shallower or flat-bottom pool may allow certain swimmers to maintain contact with the floor throughout much more of the pool. Built-in benches can provide places to rest. Wide steps can create another stable area. Pool railing and interior safety bars to hang onto can be placed where they are most useful.
This is also a good reason to tell your pool designer exactly what concerns you.
If your biggest fear is getting tired halfway across the pool, say so.
If standing securely matters, let us know.
If you rely heavily on your upper body for transfers, tell us.
Those details help the Burton team plan a swimming pool around how you actually need to use it.
6. “Can My Accessible Pool Still Look Beautiful?”
Absolutely.
An accessible swimming pool does not have to look institutional. Our custom gunite pools can be built in a huge variety of shapes and styles. Freeform pool designs, beach entries, tanning ledges, natural rock features, waterfalls, integrated spas, and other custom elements can become part of the same pool that includes swimming pool handrails, accessible entry, or a residential pool lift.
Explore additional options on our custom pool features page, including waterfalls and other water features.
Accessibility does not have to become the visual focus of the backyard. Your pool can still feel personal. It can still be the place everyone wants to gather. It can still look like your pool, because it is.
7. “Will My Pool Builder Actually Understand What I’m Asking For?”
This can be a frustrating part of accessibility in general.
Something may be labeled “accessible” and still be completely impractical for the person expected to use it.
That is why your first pool builder conversation should not begin with: “Which accessibility package do you want?” It should begin with: “Tell us how you use your space and what you need for a successful experience.”
- Tell your Burton pool designer what movements are difficult.
- Tell us what you can do independently.
- Tell us what you would rather not rely on someone else to do.
- Tell us if you transfer from a wheelchair.
- Tell us if standing for extended periods is difficult.
- Tell us what you want to do in the pool.
- And tell us what you are worried about.
Burton has been designing pools for more than 48 years and builds custom pools throughout the NW Arkansas, SE Oklahoma, and SW Missouri tri-state area. Our experience with custom swimming pool design and construction gives us the ability to look beyond standard pool layouts and explore design options that fit the person using it.
8. “What Happens If My Mobility Changes Later?”
This is one of the most important questions in the entire design process.
Your swimming pool may last for decades.
Your mobility may not remain exactly the same.
A person who comfortably uses wide steps today might benefit from a pool lift later. Someone who walks independently today may eventually use a walker or wheelchair. Aging alone can change balance, endurance, and strength over time.
Planning ahead can make future modifications far easier.
That might mean leaving sufficient clear deck space for a future ADA pool lift. It could mean making pathways wide enough for a mobility device before one is required. It may involve incorporating rails or a gradual entry now rather than trying to retrofit them later.
Your local Burton pool builder can help homeowners think beyond “What works today?”
A better question is: “How can we build a pool that has room to change with me?”
9. “Can My Whole Family Use the Same Pool Comfortably?”
Accessible pool design should not separate one person from everyone else. Many of the features that help someone with limited mobility can make a pool easier for the entire family.
- Wide steps can be great for grandchildren.
- A tanning ledge can provide a comfortable shallow-water area.
- Handrails can help older family members.
- Benches give everyone somewhere to sit.
- A beach entry can create an easy transition into the water.
- The heat of an in-pool or poolside spa can help ease chronic pain.
Accessible pool design can be good pool design.
The Burton Pools & Spas custom pool team can help homeowners create a layout that works for different generations and abilities instead of creating a backyard that feels divided into “accessible” and “regular” areas. You’re meant to be with the ones you love. Let’s plan your pool that way, too.
10. “How Much More Will an Accessible Pool Cost?”
There is no single answer because there is no single disability or handicap accessible pool package. However, you can estimate a median custom gunite pool build to be between $75,000 and $100,000. We can also discuss if a fiberglass or vinyl liner pool is better for you.
The cost of your overall project depends on the pool itself and the modifications selected, as well as any outdoor living features or additional backyard accessibility needs you have. A residential ADA handicap chair lift has a different cost than additional pool handrails for inground pools. A fully custom gunite pool with a beach entry is a different project than modifying the deck around an existing pool.
Some accessible features may be relatively simple. Others can affect the pool’s structural design or surrounding outdoor living space.
Burton’s current pool pricing varies based on construction type, size, property conditions, and selected features. We also offer multiple pool financing options through our lending partners, which can help qualifying homeowners spread the cost of a new pool or qualifying backyard project over time.
Do not assume accessibility automatically puts a swimming pool outside your budget. Call us first. There may be several ways to reach the same functional goal at different investment levels.
11. “Will I Actually Use My Pool Enough to Make It Worth It?”
This question can carry a lot of emotion.
Nobody wants to spend money on a swimming pool and then discover that getting into it is so difficult that everyone else uses it more than they do. That is exactly why accessibility should be part of the design conversation from day one.
When a pool is easier to reach, enter, use, and exit, it becomes far more practical as part of your everyday life.
For some homeowners, that means family time.
For others, it means quiet time in the water.
For some, it means therapy that helps build strength and endurance.
For someone else, it may mean having another comfortable way to stay active close to home.
The CDC even acknowledges that physical activity can support health, independence, mental health, and quality of life for those with disabilities, and specifically lists swimming, water aerobics, and aquatic therapy among impactful activities.
The emotional benefit can be just as meaningful.
You are not sitting beside the pool while your family uses it. You are part of the action, part of the fun, and part of the belonging.
12. “Can I Use My Backyard Pool for Exercise or Aquatic Therapy?”
For many people with limited mobility, water can provide an appealing environment for physical activity.
Water’s buoyancy reduces the amount of body weight placed on the joints, and aquatic exercise can allow some people to move with less strain than they experience during land-based activity. The Arthritis Foundation® notes benefits of aquatic exercise for mobility, function, and joint comfort among some people with arthritis.
A backyard pool should never be presented as a replacement for physical therapy or medical care. Anyone using a pool as part of a rehabilitation or therapeutic program should follow guidance from their physician or licensed therapist.
But if swimming, water walking, or aquatic exercise is already part of your recommended routine, having an accessible pool at home may make regular participation much more convenient.
Our team can discuss design details such as depth, open exercise space, pool railings, water entry options, and heating options based on how you plan to use your pool.
13. “What Pool Depth Will Make Me Feel Most Comfortable?”
Deep water is fun for some swimmers.
For someone concerned about balance, fatigue, or staying securely on their feet, it may create anxiety instead.
That is why depth deserves a real conversation during accessible pool design.
Custom gunite construction gives the Burton pool construction team substantial flexibility in creating the size, shape, and features of an inground pool. Depending on the project, homeowners can discuss flatter floors, larger shallow areas, entry ledges, steps, and seating that better support how they plan to move through the water.
Not every accessible pool needs to have the same depth profile.
Someone using water for seated relaxation has different priorities than someone doing aquatic exercise.
Again, we can design around the person, not a template.
14. “Can I Control My Pool without Constantly Going Back and Forth?”
Accessibility also means thinking about what happens after the pool is built.
Walking or rolling to equipment pads, bending to operate controls, or repeatedly going outside to adjust equipment can become difficult for homeowners with limited mobility.
Pool automation can simplify parts of pool ownership by allowing compatible equipment and functions to be managed through centralized or remote controls. We even have options for pool control from your smartphone or tablet!
Burton Pools & Spas provides new pool equipment with your pool build, including pool automation systems. Automation can also be incorporated during a pool renovation or equipment upgrade.
During design, our designers can also discuss where pool equipment and controls are located, so routine ownership and easy access is considered along with swimming.
15. “What If Maintaining a Pool Is Physically Difficult for Me?”
Pool accessibility should not end when you climb out of the water.
Vacuuming, handling equipment, bending, lifting, and performing other pool-care tasks may be difficult for someone with limited strength or mobility.
The good news is that there are ways to reduce the physical workload.
Automated equipment and robotic pool cleaner amenities can help with certain tasks. Burton Pools & Spas also provides professional pool service, maintenance, and equipment inspection for homeowners who would rather have help taking care of the pool.
If low-maintenance ownership or professional assistance is an important part of caring for a swimming pool for you, tell your pool designer at the beginning, and we can set you up with a pool plan that works for you.
16. “Can My Existing Swimming Pool Be Renovated for Better Accessibility?”
Yes! Your pool and pool area can be renovated to fit your needs. This is a particularly important option for homeowners whose circumstances have changed.
Maybe your pool was built 15 years ago when stairs were easy. Maybe an accident or injury changed the way you move. Maybe an aging parent now lives with you. Or, maybe you expect to remain in your home long-term and want the backyard to work better as you get older.
You do not necessarily have to give up the pool you already love.
Burton Pools & Spas’ pool renovation and remodeling team can make substantial changes to existing pool areas. Current renovation services include pool decking and hardscape work, pool resurfacing, custom additions, pool equipment upgrades, ADA equipment additions, safety improvements such as updated pool patio and handrails, and more.
What’s possible depends on your existing pool’s construction and your property, but a renovation consultation can help determine what can realistically be changed. That may mean making your pool easier to reach, easier to enter, easier to move around in, or easier to maintain.
Sometimes accessibility begins with a brand-new design. Sometimes it begins with making the pool you already own work for the person you are today.
Your Pool Should Be Designed Around You
There is no universal handicap pool.
There is no single entry system that works for every wheelchair user. There is no perfect water depth for everyone with limited mobility. And there is no reason an accessible backyard has to look clinical.
The right pool begins with a conversation.
Tell us what is difficult in your daily routine.
Tell us what you want to do without assistance.
Tell us how you transfer.
Tell us where you want more stability.
Tell us how you need and want to use the water.
Tell us what could change in the future.
Then let our team explore what can be built specifically for you.
With more than 48 years of pool-building experience, custom inground pool options, complete pool renovations, equipment upgrades, professional service, and five locations serving communities across Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Missouri, Burton Pools & Spas can help you think beyond simply adding a single ADA pool accessibility feature.
We can look at the whole experience, from the route out of your home to the patio, the water entry, the pool itself, and the way you will care for it years from now.
Because your backyard pool should not be something everyone else gets to enjoy.
It should be built so you can enjoy it, too. Contact us today to explore the transformational ways that a pool designed for your needs can impact your life. We’ll do the best we can to make your pool experience the best that it can be.