Can I learn to swim or continue to swim if I have sight loss?

Swimming is a very popular and accessible sport for blind and partially sighted people. Many swimming pools welcome swimmers with sight loss during public sessions and often provide special sessions for organised groups.

There are a number of adaptions that can be made to make swimming accessible.

The British Blind Sport website has a Guide for Supporting Visually Impaired Adults and Children in the Pool on its Educational Resources webpage.

The guide has useful information for swimming teachers and coaches such as making sure you make instructions descriptive and how make lessons accessible.

The guide also recommends using aids such as a tappers, prescription goggles and contrasting sinkers and floats. A tapper is a person that alerts the swimmer that they are approaching the end of the pool by gently tapping them on the head. This is done by using a long pole with a soft ball on the end. Prescription goggles are also available from most opticians and may help those with some sight. Using contrasting sinkers and floats will make them easier to spot for those with some sight or colour blindness.

Competing

There are an increasing number of regional, national and international competitions held every year for blind and partially sighted people. British Blind Sport (BBS) hold a swimming gala every year in Worcester for blind and partially sighted people of all ages.

For international and national swimming competitions and training, it's best to contact the ASA (Amateur Swimming Association).