NEW ASA MODULE IS SIGN OF TIMES
The Amateur Swimming Association this week launches a teaching
module specifically designed to help swimmers with a hearing
impairment.
The Continuing Professional Development (CPD) module, "Communicating
with people with a hearing impairment", was developed
alongside the Physical Education Association UK and Surrey
Deaf Children's Society and is believed to be the first of
its kind run by a national governing body for sport in this
country.
The one-day workshop is designed for working with swimmers
with hearing difficulties, but can be equally applicable to
teachers and coaches of non-impaired learners. The emphasis
is on the use of signing as a means of communication and is
specific to the swimming environment.
ASA Director of Education John Lawton explains:
"There is no doubt that swimming teachers and coaches
operate in what is often a challenging work environment which
can place great demands upon their communication skills.
"People who may be considered to have 'normal' hearing
may, at times, find a teacher difficult to hear and therefore
understand.
"The wearing of swim caps and ear plugs obviously exasperates
the situation and a great responsibility is placed upon the
teacher to establish strategies to ensure the communication
is effective.
"This module gives ASA teachers basic deaf awareness
coupled with a resource to enable them to use swimming-specific
signing in the pool."
Carole Borough, the ASA's National Development Officer for
Disability Swimming, believes the new course is a move in
the right direction.
"The introduction of this new module is a really positive
step and can only go to helping people with a hearing impairment,"
she said.
"A lot of deaf swimmers who are put into a mainstream
environment often complain that they can't hear or understand
the teacher and that if they had signing it would help.
"I can see this course being very popular with teachers
and coaches currently involved with hearing impaired swimmers,
but we mustn't forget that a lot of deaf people lip read and
so the signing should be used to enhance the teaching."
The module will be piloted this week at the Pool in the Park
in Woking before being rolled out across the country later
this year.
For more information or to find out about attending a workshop,
contact Paula Rice on 618 739 or email paula.rice@swimming.org
<mailto:paula.rice@swimming.org>
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