What is Puggles Swim?
Puggles Swim is a new and exciting approach to upskilling accredited swim instructors to teach deaf and hard of hearing children how to swim.
Puggles Swim will make learning to swim more accessible to families with deaf and hard of hearing children because they can learn to swim in a mainstream swim class at their local pool.
This will see more children become water-safe while building their confidence and creating inclusive communities.
Here at Deaf Children Australia, we believe every child has the right to learn to swim.
This opportunity can sometimes be limited for deaf and hard of hearing children because of communication barriers to learning.
Why did we develop Puggles?
Until now, there has never been an endorsed national swimming program to support the communication needs of deaf and hard-of-hearing children.
Our vision is to create a world where children who are Deaf and Hard Hearing have every opportunity to reach their full potential. This means access to all the opportunities available to their hearing peers. Puggles Swim will make a significant contribution to this.
DCA commissioned the first, national survey of families with
deaf or hard of hearing children, unearthing key findings.
We learned that:
- parents of DHH children are deeply concerned about their child’s safety in and around water
- they are worried about their child having the opportunity to take part in mainstream activities, especially swimming and
- they are frustrated with extremely limited learn-to-swim lessons for deaf children.
Dive into Puggles Swim:
Puggles Swim Map
The Puggles Swim map is live. When you get to the map, add your postcode top left of the page so see where your nearest Puggles Swim pool is. We have added the pools that have completed the course – see the Green ‘Endorsed Puggles Pool’. We have also added the swim schools that are in training – So you know which one is on the way. Access the map below.
Pip
Loves the water and
is good at kicking, and is learning to swim really fast! He has hearing loss
and usually wears his hearing aid. He loves to read, play in the garden with
his sister Annie, and of course go to the beach with his buddies. He remembers
to take his hearing aid off before swimming so it won’t get wet.
Annie
Is a good swimmer. Annie wears a
cochlear and uses Auslan. She likes to
go on all sorts of adventures- bike riding, climbing trees, and jumping into the
pool with her friends. She knows to take special care with her cochlear around the
water and asks mum to help remove the sound processor before jumping in the
pool.
Sam
Is a young puggle and loves the water too. He always splashes around in the pool and at the
beach. Sam has grommets and wears a headband to keep the grommets secure. He
loves playing with his friends, Pip and Annie.
Puggles Swim, proudly endorsed by:
