According to the ABS, as of 2022, 5.5 million Australians (21.4%) live with a disability. We know that participation in sport and recreation makes an important contribution to the health and wellbeing of all people, particularly those with disabilities. However, due to physical and attitudinal barriers, people with disabilities often face challenges when trying to make these activities a part of their everyday lives.

The Royal Life Saving WA Strategic Plan 2025-29 outlines key strategies to move forward within each of our strategic pillars. As part of our commitment to empowering communities to engage in swimming and water safety programs, we aim to enhance access, inclusion and diversity by supporting people with disabilities through adaptive training and accessible facilities.

Pearn and Franklin (2013) argue that “the buoyancy of water and the sense of subjective weightlessness is enriching for children who are physically weak or paralysed by neuromuscular disease. For others, the acquisition of swimming skills promotes a feeling of equality in those to whom equality of achievement is so often denied.”

Statistics presented by Autism Swim highlight a real concern for the safety of children with disabilities. They state that more than 50% of children on the autism spectrum wander, often gravitating towards bodies of water, and that children on the autism spectrum are 160 times more likely to drown than their peers.

A lack of suitable, targeted swimming and water safety education for children with disabilities, combined with higher costs and limited access, creates barriers for families seeking the one-on-one support their children need to learn basic swimming and water safety skills.

We recognise the need for change, and through innovative and targeted swimming programs, we are breaking down barriers to participation with the aim of ensuring all Western Australians, including those living with disabilities, have access to swimming and water safety education and the opportunity to learn vital water safety skills.

The establishment of the Royal Life Saving WA Disability Steering Committee solidifies our commitment to ensuring programs are inclusive, accessible, and responsive to the needs of people with disabilities across all ages and abilities.
Learn More