Pines Quite Hour Pilot, improving accessibility for those experiencing sensory challenges.
We are excited to announce that we will be hosting Quiet Hour Swims at our outdoor facility, Pines Forest Aquatic Centre. Swimming pools are a great source of enjoyment and recreation for many, however, there people in our community with sensory challenges or additional needs who may face challenges in public pool environments. They may be too noisy or over stimulating. Recognising this, we are very happy to be taking a step to breaking down this barrier so all members of our community can attend and participate in activity at PINES.
What is Quiet Hour?
During “Quiet Hour” Swims pilot we will provide a low-stimulation aquatic environment.
Several key measures will be implemented to ensure a peaceful and accommodating experience at the pool, including:
- We will not be playing music or making unnecessary announcements over the speaker system.
- We will be speaking to patrons as they enter the facility to ensure they are aware of the Quiet Hour Swim, and to ask them to be mindful of noise levels.
- We will be managing Centre bookings of user groups in an effort to manage entrances during Quiet Hour Swims.
- As always, our PINES team will be ready to support all patrons that attend the Centre during Quiet Hour Swims.
When will be hosting Quiet Hour Swims?
Our first Pines Quiet Hour Swim pilot will be held on Wednesday 20 December between 3pm – 4pm.
The Centre will remain open to the public and everyone is welcome during this time, but we ask if you are attending during the allocated time slot that you please be mindful of noise levels. We want to provide a calm and sensory friendly, low stimulant environment and appreciate everyone’s support and cooperation in achieving this.
We will continue to host Quiet Hour Swims at PINES in 2024, and will update our PINES Facebook page as well as PINES website with days and times.
We’d love to hear your feedback
Quite Hour Swims is a pilot program, and we would appreciate any feedback from our community to ensure we are providing a service that meets the needs of our community. We encourage you to share your experiences and suggestions to help shape and refine the sensory-friendly initiative with staff, or via our website form here.
We are committed to ensuring our facilities are welcoming and accommodating to everyone in our community, and this new pilot project will ensure that individuals with sensory needs will be to enjoy the benefits of our pool.
