News
OU Aquatic Center Will Upgrade Accessibility
By: Kathryn Kendall | Ohio University Communications & Marketing
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By next school year, the Ohio University Aquatic Center will have undergone improvements throughout the building making it an accessible facility for people with disabilities.
This project is included in a series of ADA accessibility improvements being implemented by the University. The Aquatic Center will be upgrading its accessibility, offering easier access within the facility and additional safety features surrounding the building.
The tentative schedule for this project places it in the design phase through April. The construction phase is estimated to begin in July and end in August, just in time for fall semester.
Currently, there is no ADA accessibility available for entrance into the Aquatic Center and within the building there is no accessibility to or accommodations for the bathrooms or locker rooms and no way for persons with disabilities to enter the pool itself.
The exterior of the building will be upgraded with automatic door opening push plates and additional railings around the perimeter increasing the safety and accessibility of the facility.
Two lifts will be added to the pool, one as a permanent accessibility point and another as a mobile lift providing access to the facility for those with disabilities.
Space in both the men’s and women’s locker rooms that is currently being used to hang garments while showering will be converted into ADA accessible bathrooms.
The Aquatic Center opened in 1984 with funding from the Nationwide Insurance Foundation. The pool is 50 meters by 25 meters and holds more than 645,000 gallons of water. It is home to the Ohio University Bobcat men’s and women’s swimming teams as well as a classroom and recreation center for students, faculty, staff and the community.