Adapted Swimming  news & events

Water offers kinetic and functional capabilities to all individuals independent of the level and the severity of their disability. The teaching of swimming and aquatic activities to people with disabilities -while not aiming to clinically curing aillements- fullfill the goals of physical fitness that lead to good health and prevention against chronic and other diseases. The properties of water, especially that of boyancy, and its density, offer people with disabilities a freedom and a supportive environment for movement and propulsion that they cannot enjoy out of it. Within the water environment, all people are equal, suspended and move with similar ease. Additionally, aquatic exercise improves cardiorespiratory endurance and strengthens core muscles that contribute to postural stability neccessary for aquatic locomotion; benefits that can then be transferred to terrestrial functions.

 

The contribution of Adapted Aquatics professionals and trainers is greately valued for maintaining and maximizing the abilities of people with disabilities, who usually lead more sedentary lifestyles due to kinetic impediments. Aquatic teaching for the disabled has evolved through Adapted Physical Education, swimming teaching academies and methodologies and water safety foundations. Throughout this decade, state laws in most countries are shifting and inclusive physical education is encouraged by law. Many communities attempt to now create the necessary conditions and facilities so that people with various disabilities can take part in courses and teams that abled people can participate in. This creates a necessity for more aquatic teachers with swimming and aquatic training experience for the disabled.

 

The Adapted Aquatics section of AHF will share and exchange views on teaching swimming and aquatics for every type of disability, and will promote "inclusion" in adapted aquatic courses. Recreational and official competitive swimming and aquatic events will be announced and there will be space for dialogue and exchange between professionals through analysis of scientific articles as well as audiovisual material.