A new survey from the care company Humana shows that there are no wheelchair accessible bathing places in every six municipalities. When there is neither a ramp to the water nor handicap toilets, it becomes difficult for many to take a bath during the summer.

- It doesn't have to be very expensive to adapt at least some bathing places in each municipality. Everyone has the right to swim, says Jonatan Arenius, accessibility manager at Humana.

Malmö and Höganäs at the top

The differences are large between the municipalities. In Malmö and Höganäs almost all municipal baths are wheelchair friendly, while in Skurup there is no wheelchair accessible bath at all.

- Along the coast there is no jetty today that is accessibility-adapted where you can get yourself down with a wheelchair. However, there are plans to adapt the bridge in Mossbystrand, says Håkan Svensson, head of environmental and community building in Skurup.

According to the National Board of Housing, it is an interpretation question whether the law on accessibility applies to the municipal outdoor swimming pools.

Many public environments have been rebuilt since the law was changed in the early 2000s, for example with ramps for outdoor seating. However, most bathing places have not become wheelchair friendly.

- Rebuilding beaches at beaches is not an easy remedy. It requires a new bridge that must be adapted and it costs a lot of money, says Håkan Svensson.

Difficult to interpret law

It is also an interpretative question if it is about discrimination when wheelchair users cannot swim outdoors. Accessibility requirements only apply if there are financial conditions to adapt the bathing areas.

- Probably the outdoor swimming pool is not covered, it is difficult to assess and may be decided on a case-by-case basis. The law is written to test which seen each individual feels discriminated against, says Clas Lundstedt, press officer at DO.