AUSTSWIM secures Federal Government backing for Removing Barriers program

AUSTSWIM has announced that it has secured program funding through the Federal Department of Social Services for its Removing Barriers initiative.

Based on self-reported data in the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare’s 2020 People with disability in Australia report, people with disability are more likely to have poorer general and mental health than people without disability.

While only a small percentage (7%) of adults without disability report ‘poor/fair general health’, 42% of adults with disability experience poor to below average health. Physical activity is an important factor in maintaining good physical health, mental health, wellbeing and social inclusion.

Through the Federal Department of Social Services’ Social and Community Participation Grants Program, AUSTSWIM will be launching a range of initiatives aimed at removing barriers for participation for people living with a disability, ensuring that people with a disability, their families and carers are supported to participate in, contribute to and benefit from the same community activities as everyone else.

There are few environments that offer the chance for participation regardless of physical and mental ability in the same way that the aquatic environment does.

The opportunities on offer will support communities to build the capacity required to offer swimming and water safety programs to people with a disability, including:

• Full Scholarships to bring teachers in regional and remote communities into metropolitan locations to undertake AUSTSWIM Teacher of Swimming and Water Safety and AUSTSWIM Teacher of Aquatics - Access and Inclusion training and partnering them with programs to participate in industry training (which they would otherwise not have an opportunity to complete from their regional location)

• Subsidised training opportunities to complete the AUSTSWIM Teacher of Swimming and Water Safety course and the AUSTSWIM Teacher of Aquatics - Access and Inclusion course

• Subsidised training opportunities for current to upskill and complete AUSTSWIM Teacher of Aquatics - Access and Inclusion courses.

• Subsidised MATE workshops for the industry and community

Explaining the benefits of the Removing Barriers program, AUSTSWIM General Manager - Growth, Delivery and Participation, Jared Wilson stated “we are really excited to be able to bring a range of opportunities to industry that will help build capacity to increase access to programs for people with a disability.

“A real highlight of the program will be the full scholarships available for people in regional and remote communities allowing them to access training, programs as support that they might generally miss out on due to their location”

AUSTSWIM, the pre-eminent, nationally registered training organisation for swimming teachers, will provide full training and accreditation scholarships to candidates from regional and remote areas. AUSTSWIM will assist families and carers of people with disability to become comfortable and competent in attending aquatic facilities and subsidise courses to extend them into areas of need across Australia. Most importantly, this will allow AUSTSWIM to establish an ongoing pathway to aquatic access for people with disability across Australia.

Further details of the Removing Barriers program will roll out over the coming months and will extend through to June 2022.

Image courtesy of AUSTSWIM.