Indiana University creates adaptive scuba diving program for children with physical disabilities and medical conditions.

Dr. Charles Beeker, director of Indiana University’s Center for Underwater Science, was named our August Sea Hero in 2016 for his work preserving Caribbean shipwrecks and fostering the next generation of underwater stewards. Over the summer, Beeker and the rest of IU’s academic diving faculty have been working on another project closer to home — an adaptive scuba diving program for children and young adults.

This is a joint effort with Bradford Woods, the university’s outdoor center and host to a number of recreational, educational and service programs. The goal of this partnership is to expand the program offerings for Bradford Woods’ adaptive summer camps such as Camp Riley, a therapeutical camp for kids with physical disabilities and medical conditions.

“Our goal was to safely accommodate as many willing camp participants regardless of individual disability,” Bob Kessler, an academic specialist within IU’s academic diving program, told Scuba Diving.

He said the preparation involved many hours of communicating with parents and physicians for medical clearance, being onsite during camp registration to answer questions, getting supplemental adaptive training for the camp counselors and scuba instructors and acquiring properly fitting scuba gear for the young participants.

Scuba diving training was offered at four of the camps during the summer of 2017 and was led by six IU faculty members. Instructors often worked one on one with students during the hour-long sessions in order to meet their individual needs and ability level.

“The kids had a great time and were able to participate in an activity that most have only dreamed about,” Kessler said. “Just like any other Discover Scuba participants, we had campers who were excited and some were nervous. In the end, they were all smiling. Water and scuba are the ultimate equalizers and allow for success and enjoyment for all.”

Approximately 80 campers participated in the adaptive scuba and snorkel programs with a wide range of disabilities including — but not limited to — spina bifida, cerebral palsy, blood disorders and cranial/facial anomalies. Other participants were undergoing active cancer treatment or were in remission.

Lisa Elder, the director of recreational therapy at Bradford Woods, said that the purpose of the recreational activity is to show the campers what they are capable of and provide the resources to reach that potential.

“They’re constantly being told what they can’t do,” Elder told Indiana University. “We show them they don’t have to exclude themselves and that they just have to adapt it to work for them.”

“Initiating the IU adaptive scuba program at Bradford Woods was a worthwhile endeavor for both the participants and our IU faculty,” Beeker told Scuba Diving. “Just seeing the smiles on everyone’s faces made it worth the effort.”

After a positive reception from participants and staff, plans are already underway to include scuba diving in next year’s camp offerings. IU’s Academic Diving Program hopes to expand the adaptive and therapeutic scuba program to offer full certifications and offer travel options for camp participants and their families so they can share this activity together.

As opportunities for adaptive diving increase, the university also looks forward to advancing research on therapeutic scuba models and adaptive instructional techniques.

“In the future, IU hopes to go beyond the initial recreational values of offering the adaptive scuba programs and begin researching the long-term therapeutic values of making scuba diving more accessible,” Beeker said.

• Learn more about Charles Beeker and the rest of Scuba Diving's Sea Heroes