Swim England North East, Swim England and UK Deaf Sport are making huge grounds to ensure swimming is more accessible than ever before for deaf swimmers.

The start of a race can be challenging for deaf athletes, especially those who are unable to wear their hearing aids or cochlear implants in the water. As part of an ongoing project, an unprecedented number of facilities in England which host level one and level two meets have been equipped with strobe lighting to ensure deaf swimmers have equal starts to their peers with the East Midlands area being the first to pilot these.

Swim England North East have been successful in securing funding from the Catherine Cookson Charitable Trust and the Rothley Trust which has enabled them to purchase three strobes that will be located within Northumberland and Durham and available for clubs to use.

As part of the partnership, UK Deaf Sport are offering to train volunteers to help them understand the unique information and support needs of deaf people. Deaf Awareness Training will be delivered in April’s online North East Swimming Coach Forum (1pm, 27th April 2021) enabling coaches to understand the barriers facing deaf people in swimming, help develop communication skills and be able to use them effectively in a coaching session and pathways for deaf swimming.

Swim England North East, Swim England and UK Deaf Sport are committed to making these changes nationwide, so deaf swimmers across the country have access to equal starts. They will continue to seek to identify opportunities to support coaches, referees and officials through deaf awareness training and support.