Current regulations for accessibility in public swimming pools in Spain

Accessibility for people with disabilities in public or collective use swimming pools, sports centers or gyms, hotels and other establishments, is regulated at state level by a set of rules that seek to ensure equal access and social inclusion.

The General Law on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (Royal Decree 1/2013) establishes the right to universal accessibility and obliges the owners of facilities to make the necessary reasonable adjustments to eliminate barriers.

Royal Decree 193/2023, regulates the basic conditions of accessibility and non-discrimination in goods and services available to the public. In the case of swimming pools and sports centers, it requires that accesses, changing rooms, toilets and bathing areas have accessible routes, appropriate signage and elements that allow the use of the facility by people with reduced mobility.

The Technical Building Code (CTE), through its basic document DB-SUA: Safety of use and accessibility, establishes the requirements to be met by new buildings and renovations in collective facilities. The Royal Decree 173/2010 amended the CTE to reinforce accessibility requirements, including accessible itineraries, ramps and lifting devices.

In the health field, Royal Decree 742/2013 regulates the technical-sanitary criteria for swimming pools, and although it focuses on water quality and safety, it is complemented by the aforementioned accessibility requirements.

In summary, these regulations imply that swimming pools for public or collective use -including those in gyms, hotels and sports centers- must have adapted accesses, accessible routes inside, adapted changing rooms and showers and, when necessary, accessible means of entry to the pool, such as cranes or ramps. All this seeks to ensure that anyone, regardless of their physical ability, can enjoy these facilities on an equal footing.