Foundations for inclusive success in aquatics
By Briana Valente
Disabilities and neurodivergent markers aren’t always visible. Treading thoughtfully to avoid offending someone can feel difficult to navigate at times. So how do leaders create aquatic spaces that excite and engage people with all ability types? And how do we ask respectfully about preferences and special needs while building amenities that will continue to adapt over time? One way to explore this is to understand guest usage first and then to ask questions in an inclusive way that doesn’t limit how someone may experience life. For example, ask how a person “enters” a space, not how one “walks into” a space. First, the concept of play styles can aid in defining what questions should be asked.
Free play is important for each person’s development and changes as we age. It enables problem-solving, creative storytelling, and innovation. It’s often seen in childhood activities such as building Lego sets, playing house, creating structures, achieving success in video games like Minecraft, strategic play in board games, and running through nature while imagining new worlds. Free play continues to evolve as children explore aquatic environments since the industry is constantly changing and adapting.
The field of modern aquatics changes often to adopt new regulations and cater to facility ideals. Water quality, chemicals, safety services, products, toys, lifeguards, cleaning schedules, surfaces—the list seems unending, and that’s a good thing. Our communities need to be flexible to meet user needs while supporting generational wellness. Risk is healthy for people of all ages and abilities to engage in and develop lifelong skills. Risk also looks different to everyone. We learn how to take our first steps, we encounter water for the first time, we learn how to swim, we brave our fears and ride the tall slides, we learn how to surf, and we teach others from all that we’ve learned. The best thing about personal development is that there’s not one set journey everyone has to follow. We all experience things at our own pace. It’s the responsibility of aquatic centers across the world to enable the freedom of taking risks in controlled environments so people can learn, explore, and grow regardless of ability.
