![]() ![]() If you take a little time to interact with the Scout directly, you can get a sense of whether extra help will be needed. The key thing to remember is if a Scout is making errors in following instructions or rules it could easily be due to features of a special need or disability rather than ignorance or disobedience. The Scouts that come to participate at the waterfront do not necessarily identify themselves to the staff as having a special need. Some Scouts with milder special needs may start camp without needing accommodations but begin to need them later on. Camp is exciting and challenging and over the course of a multi-day camp session, Scouts with disabilities may tire out or act out more as time goes on. For every obvious disability you encounter, there will be several Scouts with less obvious special needs like learning disabilities, ADHD, autism, or anxiety disorders. Some Scouts have disabilities that are obvious, like physical disabilities, blind, deaf, or Down syndrome. There are also people who can physically complete the swim test and all the actions needed for boat handling, but need extra instruction or time to learn the skills of boating or need a mature person in the boat as a buddy to assist with decision making. Some people who could not complete the swim test, like a person with lower body paralysis, could successfully paddle, row, sail, or drive. The swim test is not a clean dividing line. Since passing the BSA swim test is a prerequisite for the watercraft merit badges, we tend to assume that a Scout that can pass the swim test can do everything else it takes to operate a watercraft. Jet Ski® is a registered trademark of Kawasaki Each type of watercraft has its own procedures and sequences for launching, propelling, steering, and landing that need to be taught and adhered to.įishing activities are addressed in Module TBD and swimming areas are addressed in Module BB-1 Motor powered craft include “Jet Ski®” personal watercraft (PWC), motorboats, and pontoon boats. There is a wide variety of watercraft that can be used and there may be aquatics play structures, swimming areas, and fishing areas located in or near boating areas. Non-powered craft include canoes, kayaks, rowboats, paddleboats, small sailboats, and standup paddleboards. The waterfront program area also has more complexity than some other program areas. Since PFDs are required for every activity in a natural body of water besides swimming in a controlled area, no extra equipment or planning is required for many Scouts with special needs or disabilities. The most widely effective accommodation for Scouts with disabilities in boats and in open water is wearing a personal flotation device (PFD). The waterfront program area has a natural advantage over other camp program areas. ![]() While techniques discussed here can be applied to watercraft instruction time like merit badge classes, this module focuses on the less structured recreational time. Opportunities for recreational time on the water are especially important for Scouts with disabilities so they can enjoy camp, try new things, and cool off on hot days. If your camp conducts its swimming activities at a waterfront location, see Module BB-1 for information on swim area operations.Įvery willing Scout should have opportunity to get in and onto the water and have fun. Since aquatics safety information is presented at varying levels of detail across BSA documents and web resources, key information has been copied over into this module for easy reference. This module focuses on things that are within the control of the waterfront staff rather than permanent improvements to the facilities. The goal is to provide a concise guide that focuses on the interaction between various types of disabilities and programming in natural bodies of water and with boats. This module is for Waterfront Directors at BSA Scout Camps and supplements the information in Safety Afloat, which is the authoritative document. BB-2- Waterfront and Boating Download OVERVIEW
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