A swim class with sign language breaks barriers
STORY: These children are learning how
to swim through sign language
Location: La Paz, Bolivia
Olga Laura Salamanca is a deaf-aware instructor
She launched this course
in hopes of making swimming more inclusive
(Olga Laura Salamanca, Instructor)
"These classes are important because in Bolivia, or in our province, there are no similar experiences so that children with some special condition can have access to sports activities because of the communication barrier.”
Salamanca says it took her over 20 years
to learn how to swim
because there were no instructors
who could communicate with her
(Juan Carl Flores, Student’s father)
“My son has been in the classes for a while now. He already goes into the water. Swimming has helped him a lot because it is a complete sport. It helps him to de-stress.”