Ballarat Aquatic & Lifestyle Centre (BALC) want to see more people with disability participating in physical activity.
BALC is working to include more people with disability and are committed to making improvements to ensure people with a disability and their families have a positive experience each time they visit. Their commitment and work on inclusion across 2019 was recognised by the Ballarat Peer Action Group, awarding BALC with a ‘High Recommendation’ Inclusion Award.
The Centre has many accessible features such as accessible change rooms, hoists, aquatic wheelchairs and offer inclusive activities across their aquatics, gymnastics, and health and well-being programs.
Health and Wellbeing
BALC provide individualised fitness programs as well as specialised programs for schools and service providers supporting people with disability. Give them a call to discuss your needs.
Aquatic Education
BALC offers a tailored approach to aquatic education, listening to parents to find out the needs of their child. The Centre has several Autism Swim qualified instructors, can offer quieter times for 1:1 lessons and are open to feedback on what is and isn’t working for your child.
For more information on setting up swimming lessons for someone with a disability, call BALC on 5334 2499 and ask to speak to the aquatic education team.
Gymnastics
The BALC Gymnastics Centre is recognised as an ‘Inclusive Leader Club’ by Gymnastics Victoria for having programming, policies and procedures that support underrepresented groups, including people with additional support needs. Centre staff receive inclusive awareness training and the centre offers mainstream, specialist or private classes by arrangement for individuals or groups.
Gymnastics inclusive programs:
NEW Sensory Friendly Balance Play – A program suited to preschool children aged 18 months to five years old that promotes first steps in developing fundamental movement patters along with gross and fine motor skills.
Access All – A fully inclusive class for primary to early high school aged children with special needs to learn a range of gymnastics skills based on their ability.
Gym 4 All – A physical activity and gymnastics program for teenagers (12-17 years) involving the opportunity to set personal goals with classes structured to work towards and achieve goals. Inclusive of all abilities, non-competitive, social and FUN!
Adult Gymnastics (Open to all) – An inclusive fitness alternative for adults (16+ years old) of all skill levels, facilitated by a coach adapting a persona program to reach individual’s goals.
For more information on gymnastics for people with a disability at BALC, contact the Gymnastics Team Leader on 5330 4113.
For more information about access and inclusion at BALC visit: https://www.ballarataquaticcentre.com/your-balc/#access-inclusion
Get in touch with Ballarat Aquatic and Lifestyle Centre on 5334 2499 or balc@ballarat.vic.gov.au.