Water Safety for Every Ability

Every family deserves water safety that fits the people in it. Some conditions raise the risk of drowning. CDC advises one-on-one supervision around water for people with seizure disorders, and extra care for conditions like heart conditions or autism (opens in a new tab). These guides turn that advice into plans you can use. They draw on CDC, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the National Autism Association, children's hospitals and disability groups.

Autism. Many autistic children are drawn to water, and wandering is a real danger. Start with water safety for children with autism, then build a prevention and response plan with wandering and water. If someone who wanders is missing, call 911 and search water first.

Epilepsy and seizures. Showers instead of baths, unlocked bathroom doors and one-on-one supervision in the water are the core of a safer routine. See water safety with epilepsy or seizures.

Learning to swim. Swim lessons can be adapted to many different needs. Adaptive swim lessons explains what good programs look like and the questions to ask.

Access, hearing and health. Read physical disabilities for pool access and flotation, deaf and hard-of-hearing swimmers for visual communication, and heart conditions and medicines for what to ask your doctor.

These pages share general safety guidance. They are not medical advice, and your care team knows your situation best.

A note on words. People and communities describe themselves differently. Many autistic and Deaf people prefer identity-first language ("autistic person," "Deaf swimmer"), while many others prefer person-first language ("person with a disability"). The National Center on Disability and Journalism recommends asking people how they would like to be described (opens in a new tab). We try to follow each community's lead, and we welcome your feedback through our contact page.