At the heart of this is a two way conversation to get to know people and the support they need.
The boating organisation |
The participant |
What is my plan so I can make good decisions about a person’s safety and how they can participate? |
How can I find out what is on offer and be reassured it is for me, and it will be worth giving it a go |
How can I find out about the participant - what people appreciate about them, what is important to them and for them, and how I can support them? |
How will I work out whether I want to come back again? |
This resource focuses on:
A decision making process
Getting the language right
Important principles underpinning the conversation
Prompts and the right questions
Talking to the person and finding out about them enables you to come up with a plan for the person to get familiar with the boat, get in and out, be recovered from the water, be able to move around once in the boat and use any equipment needed to be safe, control the vessel or to maintain posture
Language can act as a barrier when it is negative and misrepresents disabled people and their lives. It can create stigmas and labels. Positive language, on the other hand, can attract people and encourage them to get on the water.
Getting the conversation right means we need to know what is important to people and what they want to get out of the conversation. Using the Activity Alliance’s Ten Principles will make activities more appealing to disabled people.
The person going sailing knows themselves. The club or centre and its staff and volunteers know about sailing. A conversation between both parties will provide all the information needed to make good decisions about safety and participation.
Download the guide as an accessible pdf
Getting to know youTry the Improving the Communication Environment Guide