Whitlam Leisure Centre’s Accessibility Action Plan

NB: We do not resell your papers. Upon ordering, we do an original paper exclusively for you.

NB: All your data is kept safe from the public.

Table of Contents

Introduction
Organization Audit
Whitlam Leisure Centre Accessibility Overview
Best Practice for SCI Wheelchair Users to Undertake Aquatic Therapy
Conclusion
References

Introduction

Many regard physical activities as a prized way to spend one’s spare time and an essential part of life. However, while many people enjoy the liberty to have a sport’s center subscription and participate in its events, individuals with physical disabilities find it challenging to incorporate it into their everyday lives. Despite the governmental regulations obliging businesses to have equal opportunities for everyone, many fitness venues simply lack the accessibility measures to allow people with impairments to enjoy their services. Although enabling people with disabilities to easily enter and employ the establishment is a fundamental human right, leisure centers all over the world still miss out on the extensive client group of customers with disabilities. More specifically, wheelchair users are often widely misrepresented when it comes to access to sports despite their great need for physical treatment. This paper will present an audit of the wheelchair users’ accessibility to the Whitlam Leisure Centre facilities, specifically the pool area, as well as offer a one-page recommendation for better accessibility practices.

Organization Audit

Service Being Assessed: Pools Facilities

Location: Whitlam Leisure Centre

Transport Access: By car parking

Date of Assessment: May 14^th, 2020

	Yes	No
Is there adequate signage provided at the venue?		X
Is the entrance to the building accessible?	X
Is there enough parking for people with a disability?		X
Are there enough toilets for people with a disability?		X
Are the toilets open?	X
Is there adequate seating available for a person with a disability?		X
Is there an augmented system for people with hearing impairments?		X
Are there flyers available for all people with a disability?		X
Are the change rooms adequate for a person with a disability?		X
Can a person with a disability access the activity on their own with no help?	X
Can a person with a disability get in and out of the pool themselves?	X
Are the forms of communication used at the venue appropriate for a person with a disability?		X
Are there slip resistant floors at the venue?	X
Are there handrails available?	X
Is there a designated shower venue cubicle for a person with a disability?		X
Are tap handles accessible for all people?		X
Is there a continuous path of travel and sufficient space provided for a person with a disability and a friend to access and seating requirements?		X
Can the person with disability access the café?	X
Can a person with disability access all the programs at the venue?		X
Are there any special groups run solely for people with a disability?	X

Overview of the Service and Location

The facility under review is the Whitlam Leisure Centre in Liverpool, Australia. It provides services of five heated pools, both indoor and outdoor, with varying depths and capacities. The Centre also enables its customers to attend regular fitness sessions, sports competitions, and the ability to rent various parts of the establishment for events. The administration claims to deliver quality health and leisure events regardless of the customers’ goals, age, preferences, and abilities. It is advertised as an accessible institution with parking and access for disabled people.

Funding

According to the annual report of the spending and action plan for the next five years for the sports establishments in the region, there are various funding sources for Whitlam. The major financial resource is the Liverpool City Council, as well as the revenue of the Centre itself (Liverpool City Council, 2019). In addition, two other charity foundations help to support the accessibility of the institution: the Ian Potter Foundation and NDIS.

Disability Services

According to the official website of the Whitlam Leisure Centre, the facility ensures enough parking spots for people with disabilities. Another aspect of usability is wheelchair-accessible entrance and access to the pools. Although these points are significant, they are the only ones that are mentioned. As per accessibility for people with hearing or a visual impairment, there is no available information. In 2015, the Leisure Centre hosted a charity event to support people with disabilities and encouraged them to attend the establishment’s activities by raising funds (Liverpool City Council, 2019). On the other hand, wheelchair users neither have participated nor were mentioned during the campaign. Since then, no specific disability-oriented groups and activities have been introduced.

Customers with Spinal Cord Injury Overview and Justification of Choice

The type of condition chosen for this particular audit is acute spinal cord injury (SCI), specifically with no or moderate walking capability. “Typical impairments associated with SCI include spasticity, contractures, weakness, and pain resulting in loss of functional abilities” (Recio et al., 2017, p. 109). Given that people with such impairment are regular wheelchair users that heavily rely on physical activities for treatment and leisure, making sports faculties accessible to them is a valuable addition to discrimination-free establishments (Calder et al., 2018). However, there are still multiple barriers between a person with SCI and successful sports participation. Despite numerous benefits that disabled people gain from sports therapy, many wheeled mobility device users still face difficulties when trying to access water pools (Koontz et al., 2020). Furthermore, the businesses’ legal obligation to sustain equal opportunities for their clients regardless of their impairments is not fulfilled. Given these points into consideration, this specific physical impairment has been chosen as a user perspective to review the Whitlam Leisure Centre.

Physical, Emotional, Cognitive Requirements for Wheelchair Users’ Accessibility and Participation

Considering the specific needs of wheelchair users with SCI is extremely important in addressing them and achieving equal accessibility. As people who have limited mobility and require a transportation device like a wheelchair, physical requirements are one of the most important ones to take into account in the build surroundings. Additionally, wheelchair users require environmental variables like “multiple fixed setups (e.g. more than one accessible bathroom stall), adjustable accessibility features, availability, public access to transfer assist devices, and lack of slippery surfaces” (Crytzer et al., 2016, p. 4). Other spinal cord injury sufferers’ needs that regularly arise are “minimizing or bridging the gap and height differential between the mobility device and transfer surface, providing foot support, and adding grab bars” (Crytzer et al., 2016, p. 4). Aspects like space adjustments for the transfer surface to enable free maneuvering of the wheelchair, as well as the available location to store the device are essential physical demands.

As it concerns the emotional aspect of the accessibility, social factor requires close attention. People with spinal cord injury frequently report “feeling unsupported by the attitudes of health professionals, fitness center staff and, at times, family members and friends” (Calder et al., 2018, p. 526). Therefore, lack of informational materials, disclosure of accessibility, and understanding from staff can be an obstacle to community participation that needs to be eliminated to fulfill the emotional needs of people with spinal cord injury.

Whitlam Leisure Centre Accessibility Overview

Accessibility to the Building

The first significant aspect that needs to be taken into consideration when auditing the building from the wheelchair-user perspective is the accessibility of the venue, both internally and externally. Although, as the Centre’s administration claims, disabled parking is abundant, its location is not convenient and poorly laid out. The way the accessible parking spots are positioned puts people with physical impairments, specifically wheelchair users, in a position where they have to employ unnecessary wayfinding to reach the entrance of the location (Koontz et al., 2020). Furthermore, internal navigation might be difficult for people with disabilities since the old building has been repurposed numerous times and has been improperly integrated (Liverpool City Council, 2019). Thus, wheelchair users might find themselves wondering about the internal spaces and halls with no apparent way out.

Access to Services

The Whitlam Leisure Center provides inadequate access to the services from the perspective of the wheelchair user. Although entering the building itself is manageable, accessing the registration desk with no assistance is complicated due to the lack of space for maneuvering (Crytzer et al., 2016). However, all the pools have the required disability ramp to enter the water. Changing rooms and toilets are accessible, yet do not provide any specific assistance for wheelchair users. As per the seating area around the pool, despite the necessary slippery-free surface, there is no assigned space for mobility devices and their caregivers.

Access to the Website

The website of the Whitlam Leisure Centre does not provide adequate accessibility support for people with disabilities. The contrast of the text over the background is not sufficient for the customer with low or blurred vision. Since spinal injury can cause moderate to severe damage to nerves and lead to visual impairments, the high contrast and ability for extreme zoom-in are the necessary aspects of making the website accessible (Rimmer et al., 2017). While the site is still able to display information accurately when magnified, it does not showcase enough color contrast for the client to see appropriately. Furthermore, the pictures lack the alterative description that can be used instead of the photos to understand the context.

Usability of Physical Resources Reducing Barriers

First of all, although there are wheelchair ramps to enable access to the main building, the pools themselves, and the adjacent café area, many of these adjustments are placed in an unsuitable location for proper use. For instance, one of the outdoor pools displays the inappropriate location of the ramp that makes it inaccessible (Liverpool City Council, 2019). As per accessing the aquatic features of the Whitlam Leisure Centre, the facility lacks the updated set of measures to ensure the inclusion of people with spinal cord impairment. The water features also require the disability hoist or pods that allow wheelchair users with the ability to transport themselves and enter the water. One of the heated pools is also too small for meeting the condition’s guidelines to conduct sport group sessions and lessons due to the lack of space (Liverpool City Council, 2019). Additionally, toilets and changing rooms do not allow pertinent access for wheelchair users due to the lack of width doors and absence of hand ramps and slippery-free spaces (Calder et al., 2018). Changing rooms miss tables and do not allow customers to dress independently.

Recommendations for Reducing Barriers

According to the audit performed above, there are numerous recommendations for reducing barriers to wheelchair users’ participation. First, a convenient parking space should be relocated closer to the entrance to minimize the wayfinding time and difficulty. Second, applicable toilet and changing table features need to be included to assist mobility device users with their physical needs (Crytzer et al., 2016). The disability ramps and ceiling elevators need to be relocated for easy pool access. Accessibility technology like pool pods and pools with particular measurements for SCI people can be introduced for better community participation.

Best Practice for SCI Wheelchair Users to Undertake Aquatic Therapy

Overview of condition

The condition chosen for this guideline is moderate spinal cord injury that is associated with decreased or absent mobility of the person and a great need for exercise. People with SCI of severe and moderate-intensity need a wheelchair to assist them in their limited mobility for transportation. Thus, their lives are restrained by a lack of physical exercise.

Activity to Undertake and Precautions

The specific activity that people with spinal cord impairment will need to undertake is aquatic therapy, which is a set of exercises done when remaining underwater. According to Rimmer et al. (2017), some people with SCI can significantly benefit from various exercises. The benefits are highlighted if done underwater since the pressure and the decreased weight can ease the tension in reduced mobility’s muscles and stimulate pain-free activity. “In addition to functional improvements, patients receiving aquatic therapy demonstrate changes to ventilatory function” (Recio et al., 2017, p. 216). Although the activity has been proven to have positive effects on people’s mobility and pain coping, no exact safety measures have been put in place on the governmental level. Consequently, the venue needs to implement all the safety measures possible to ensure security.

Expected Outcomes

The disability population participation is expected to have a positive effect on the physical and emotional health of the spinal cord injury sufferers, as well as on the general customer audience of Whitlam. From the disabled people’s side, this activity will assist them in reducing pain and enhancing their mobility (Recio et al., 2017). On the other hand, their active presence will lessen the stigma surrounding disability in the sports setting.

Adaptations to activity or venue for condition

Whitlam Leisure Center has to adapt its pool faculties to provide wheelchair users with the ability to attend aquatic therapy. First, the pool of appropriate sizes and heating needs to be located on the premises, surrounded by slippery-free surfaces to avoid safety threats. Second, the administration needs to place a disability ceiling heist or a pool pod to facilitate the competent entrance into the water. Third, to provide appropriate and efficient expertise to undertake aquatic group therapy sessions, qualified professionals are necessary.

Conclusion

To sum up, the audit of the Whitlam Leisure Centre has shown that the venue’s facilities are not properly adapted for the use of people with SCI or wheelchair users. While the Centre has some features to ease the customers’ mobility, many devices are misused and thus are not available. Since people with SCI disabilities are a valued part of society protected by law, ensuring their representation in sports establishments is essential.

References

Calder, A., Sole, G., & Mulligan, H. (2018). The accessibility of fitness centers for people with disabilities: A systematic review.Disability and Health Journal, 11(4), 525-536. Web.
Crytzer, T., Cooper, R., Jerome, G., & Koontz, A. (2016). Identifying research needs for wheelchair transfers in the built environment. Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology, 1-7. Web.
Koontz, A., Bass, S., & Kulich, H. (2020). Accessibility facilitators and barriers affecting independent wheelchair transfers in the community.Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology, 1-8. Web.
Liverpool City Council. (2019). Aquatic and Leisure Centres Strategy. Leisure Planners.
Recio, A., Stiens, S., & Kubrova, E. (2017). Aquatic-based therapy in spinal cord injury rehabilitation: Effective yet underutilized.Current Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Reports, 5(3), 108-112. Web.
Rimmer, J., Padalabalanarayanan, S., Malone, L., & Mehta, T. (2017). Fitness facilities still lack accessibility for people with disabilities. Disability and Health Journal, 10(2), 214-221. Web.

Click Here To Order Now!