Equitable Aquatics: The 3 Ps of Inclusive Aquatics — Personnel, Programming and Policies


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LGBTQ+/non-binary individuals, non-native English speakers, breastfeeding moms, low-income families, and persons who are differently-abled: are these people able to have equal experiences at your facilities? Equitable aquatics is about making sure that you are making your pools accessible AND working to get all types of folks to your facilities. Part exercises, part lecture — this session is designed for you to “work in” your aquatics operations area in real-time, and leave with ideas to unpack later. We'll explore the implications and implementation of the 3 Ps of Inclusive Aquatics: Personnel, Programming, and Policies, and discuss outcomes and examples for each of the areas. We'll touch on how to grade your policies and rules for inclusivity, the fundamentals of low-income and scholarship-based offerings, and how to focus on outreach to fill your pool, programs, and payroll list with individuals who represent your diverse community.


Learning Objectives
Following this session, learners will be able to:

  1. List and create action steps to promote inclusivity in aquatic facilities.
  2. Identify blind spots in current operations as related to programming, policies, and personnel and summarize changes to implement as a result of lecture.
  3. Recognize unique community needs to foster safe and inclusive aquatic experience

Katherine Connell

Aquatics Program Supervisor

City of Iowa City

Kate Connell is an advocate for equity in recreational water use and has assisted in providing free swimming lessons, safety education and accessible pool events. Connell leads trainings and conversations on equitable aquatics, staff training and humanness through leadership. She also is experienced in private recreation as a yoga teacher trainer and author of The Art of Teaching Private Yoga.

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