Swim England and UK Deaf Sport Ensure Deaf Swimmers Have Equal Starts

The start of a race can be challenging for deaf athletes, especially those who are unable to wear their hearing aids or cochlear implants in the water. As part of an ongoing project, an unprecedented number of facilities in England which host level one and level two meets have been equipped with strobe lighting to ensure deaf swimmers have equal starts to their peers.

Out of the 69 facilities which held these meets in the 2018-19 season, 33 have been required to purchase an additional strobe and more than half of those have already done so. Swim England and UK Deaf Sport are continuing to work with their regional partners to ensure those remaining facilities will have access to a secondary strobe as soon as possible, and are committed to making these changes nationwide, so deaf swimmers across the country have access to equal starts.