A free online suite of interactive resources to help lifeguards, parents, carers, schools and swim/surf clubs include deaf and hard of hearing children at the beach, river, dam or estuary.
Puggles Open Water is an online suite of free interactive resources specifically created to support lifeguards, parents, carers, schools and swim/surf clubs. The aim is to build confidence with ways, tips and tactics to include deaf and hard-of-hearing children at the beach, river, dam or estuary.
Our resources, games and videos have been developed with the support, advice and feedback from Sunny Skye's Aquatics and Wellness Hub, Swim.org (ASCTA), Deaf Children Australia and Royal Life Saving Society Australia.
The Challenge
Why Puggles Open Water?
For deaf and hard of hearing children and their families, the barriers are high, sound plays an important part of flagging hazards at the beach or at inland waterways, from a lifesaver's whistle, to a parent calling out about a hazard, to the confusion of pounding surf or a noisy river.
For a child planning to go swimming, invariably without their hearing aids (as these should not get wet), the soundscapes that are part of everyday life around open water are difficult and challenging.
Puggles Open Water aims to take the lead on helping prevent drownings of deaf and hard of hearing children by providing practical and relevant resources, to encourage them to have fun around our inland waterways.
Resources
Explore Puggles Open Water
Downloadable resources for parents with tips and tactics for engaging deaf and hard of hearing children around open water, activity ideas, simple interactive games for children aged 2–6, an interactive PowerPoint for clubs, and Auslan sign videos for words to use at the beach, creek, estuary, river, dam and pond.
Auslan Videos (Southern Dialect)
Auslan sign videos for open-water words and safety messages.
We are grateful to our generous donors whose continued support allows us to deliver the Puggles Swim program, to help make children feel safe and supported in the water. Please continue to donate to help us keep this program accessible for all who need it.
