OCBC-SDSC SwimTogether Programme
OCBC volunteer, Samuel Wong – a former national water polo player, is one the volunteers guiding the participant of OCBC-SDSC SwimTogether programme.
OCBC and the Singapore Disability Sports Council (SDSC), together with Ms Goh Hanyan, Senior Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth & Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment, announced the launch of “OCBC-SDSC SwimTogether Programme” — Singapore’s first structured water safety programme for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs).
Currently, less than half of all PWDs are actively engage in physical activities. Through this initiative, it will address the barriers to participation in swimming and enabling it to be more inclusive and comfortable avenue for participation.
100 PWDs will benefit from 800 swimming classes over 12 months.
Certified coaches and specialised equipment
The classes are taught by certified coaches. These classes focus on water safety, which encompasses water confidence and basic swimming skills. They are also trained to identify their needs based on their varying levels of disability and provide the best possible learning experience and environment for the participants. OCBC staff volunteers will help at selected events across the year to provide additional support.
Specialised swimming devices will be made available for coaches to use. These devices include weighted swim floats and adaptive life jackets which can be used by participants with low muscle tone and muscular dystrophy. This further enhances comfort and increases their confidence during lessons.
Suitable locations and transportation
When navigating the water, PWDs can experience a sense of calm, improved circulation and freedom of movement that is often limited on land. For selected participants, classes are conducted in heated pools as swimming in non-heated pools may result in them experiencing painful muscle contractions and rigidity. This scenario can be dangerous given the participants’ already-limited range of motion.
Additionally, these locations are selected due to their inclusive features such as tactile flooring, wheelchair ramps and accessible changing and showering facilities. Participants with high dependency or accessibility needs can request for free two-way transportation. These requests will be accessed by SDSC, and successful applicants will enjoy the free service throughout their participation in OCBC-SDSC SwimTogether programme.
Selection of participants into the programme
Each class consist of two to five students, which ensures a safe coach-to student ratio with the necessary supervision granted to each participant. At the end of the programme, participants would have attained a good level of water-confidence and learned basic swimming strokes or simply benefit from being engaged in a form of physical activity throughout the programme.
Interested participants can contact SDSC by emailing community@sdsc.org.sg for more information. SDSC will also work with special education schools, day activity centres and residential homes to identify suitable participants.
