Aquatic Supervision For Individuals with Disabilities

May is often the time when aquatic instructors start preparing for summer activities. As part of their preparation, instructors should be aware water recreation for individuals with disabilities provides an excellent means for developing physical fitness, social skills, and increasing self-esteem that land activities cannot accomplish. Further, aquatics activities are a fun way to improve muscle strength, motor coordination, flexibility, cardiorespiratory endurance, and postural stability without putting undue pressure on the joints. Because the unique characteristics aquatics provide, there has been a continued trend to include more individuals with disabilities into the general community aquatic program. Aquatic instructors should be prepared to provide appropriate instruction while maintaining a safe environment for individuals with disabilities. This article will present safety guidelines, instructional strategies, and accessibility ideas to help instructors overcome these challenges.

Phillip Conaster
Adapted Section Editor

Aquatic instructors should pay attention to how individuals with disabilities are using the facility, taking into consideration what type of disabilities and the severity of the disabilities. Some disabilities are obvious, such as: if someone uses a wheelchair, wears orthopedic braces, or uses a cane or seeing eye dog while walking. Some conditions are not easily distinguishable such as, mental retardation, autism, blind, deaf, diabetes, or epilepsy and are often overlooked. However, aquatic instructors may identify some disabilities like mental retardation by observing poor body coordination for age, frequent stubbing, failure to stay on task, and/or to take more trials in learning basic swimming skill. Individuals with autism might be recognized by stereotypic behaviors such as: waving their hands in their faces, biting their arms, hitting themselves, making loud sounds, or wandering and "looking lost". For individuals that are blind, instructors may observe these individuals swaying their heads from side-to-side or holding onto someone's arm. Aquatic instructors may also observe individuals who are deaf, by their using sign language or those wearing special hearing devices. For individuals with diabetes or epilepsy, a medical ID bracelet may be viewed. In general, individuals with disabilities may have some type of visual, motor delay, perform lower on skill and fitness assessments and/or have social difficulties. Instructors can clue in on deviations for further inquiry.

After initial recognition of specific disabilities, aquatic instructors should approach the individual or their parent(s) and ask, if there is anything they can assist them with or what modification could be done to help accommodate their individual and unique needs. Instructors should present questions in a honest and sincere way. If questions are presented pleasantly, individual with disabilities or parent(s) may feel free to express their true feelings.

Communication between instructors and individuals with disabilities could save many hours of unnecessary changes in policies, practices, and facility modifications. For example, an individual who uses a wheelchair might have trouble transferring to the water. The instructor may assume a expensive lift is necessary, however, after talking with the individual, the instructor may learn that all is needed is a soft mat and a little physical assistance. Collaboration helps instructors focus on the exact needs and/or concerns of individuals with disabilities and may encounter and eliminate misconceptions that arise.

However, communicating with individual that have disabilities may be difficult. For example, if a individual has a hearing impairment, the instructor might try to instruct them to jump straight off the diving board and not from the side. Not being able to hear well, talking to them or using a whistle to obtain their attention, the individual jumps off the side of the board and may hit the pool deck. In this situation, where the individual with a disability is not in close proximity to the instructor, a buddy system could be utilized or a hand signaling system used. Matching together an individual who cannot hear with an individual who can hear or explaining to the class that if anyone's hand is up, that means students should stop what they are doing and look at the instructor are both effective ways to maintain class control and safety. Using the buddy system may also help prevent problems with individuals that are blind or have mental challenges by assisting them when trying to read and understand signs. In some situations, the instructor or buddy may need to physically hug these persons in order to keep them out of harms way.

When communicating with individuals who have disabilities, the instructors should (a) talk face-to-face with students, (b) use hand gestures or know basic sign language, (c) use physical demonstrations or manipulations, and (d) have pictures with written words explaining objectives. Further, instructors should, when communicating, ask for understanding of instruction and speak slower but in a normal voice and use shorter and simpler sentences. The environment should be well-lighted and back ground noises should be at a minimum. Further, individuals with disabilities should be guided around the aquatic area with verbal instructions on all objects, barriers, and hazards. A good mental and physical picture of the aquatic environment will allow individuals with disabilities to move more freely and safely in the facility.

Aquatic instructors should also share information with other coworkers about the individuals with disabilities who they instruct. Sharing ideas and strategies will help all instructors be better prepared for future encounters with individuals who have disabilities, as well as, encouraging instructors to instruct in a more open and inclusive style. Weekly or biweekly training sessions are a good way to relate new information to aquatic personal. Training sessions should include a hands-on application. For example, the sharing of ideas about lifting techniques (one-person, two-person front or side) may be beneficial; however, performing the lifts and assessing proper mechanics is more beneficial. Knowledge, support, and collaboration with coworkers will increase the chances for success of any aquatic programs.

Aquatic instructors should (a) make a list of all suggestions provided by individuals with disabilities who use the facility, other staff, parents, and outside community agencies and (b) looking for common themes within this information (e.g., problems, accomplishments, solutions).

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