{"id":646889,"date":"2026-07-15T09:45:37","date_gmt":"2026-07-15T16:45:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=646889"},"modified":"2026-07-15T09:45:37","modified_gmt":"2026-07-15T16:45:37","slug":"gallaudet-university-breaking-barriers-in-deaf-swimming","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/gallaudet-university-breaking-barriers-in-deaf-swimming\/","title":{"rendered":"Gallaudet University Breaking Barriers in Deaf Swimming"},"content":{"rendered":"

Gallaudet University Breaking Barriers in Deaf Swimming<\/strong><\/p>\n

For Stephanie Danner<\/strong>, swim practice was always a gift.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Spending time at the local pool with her brothers was a constant joy, gallivanting in the summer sun. Swim practice was always something to look forward to, an opportunity to improve a skill she cared deeply about. <\/span>Danner thrived, and enjoyed the sport she loved. And yet, one thing was missing: Danner was deaf, and struggled to understand her coach and her teammates.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMy team was incredible, and learned ASL (American Sign Language) so they could speak with me,\u201d she said. \u201cBut I would miss parts (of sets), and often have to work on teaching teammates ASL to communicate.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Danner\u2019s struggle is one not unfamiliar within the deaf swimming community. But it\u2019s one that she, among many other swimmers, has found a solution to: competing at Gallaudet University, the nation\u2019s only predominantly deaf college with a swim team.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Located in Washington, D.C, Gallaudet boasts both a men\u2019s and a women\u2019s team, competing in the Atlantic East Conference. Head Coach Brian Bennett<\/strong>, who is also deaf,\u00a0 explained that the team offers an opportunity both to learn, and grow as a swimmer, for a group that often gets left behind.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe find that without direct communication access, these swimmers miss out on the ability to build on their skills, to understand verbal commands and why they are important,\u201d Bennett said via an interpreter. \u201cThey miss out on a lot of information.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Bennett competed for the school back in 2003. For him, the opportunity to aid his community is one he feels strongly about.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOn average, it’s probably just one or two (deaf) swimmers around the entire U.S. who continue to compete after college, and there are only two entirely deaf high schools with teams, in Texas and Florida,\u201d Bennet said. \u201cThe numbers show we\u2019re at a strong disadvantage, and that has led to my passion.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

That passion is much appreciated, from all involved in the program. Current junior Alex Wilding<\/strong> stressed that Bennett\u2019s commitment to the team motivates his swimmers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHe supports us fully, both in school and in the pool,\u201d Wilding said. \u201cHe really wants us to succeed.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

A Rich History<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\"Gallaudet\"

Courtesy: Gallaudet University<\/p><\/div>\n

Under Bennett, Gallaudet has made massive strides. But the school\u2019s commitment to its athletes, and the sport, stems from long before the coach arrived.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The program, which began on the men\u2019s side in the early 1960s, and the women\u2019s side in the early 1970s, hit a stride in the early 2000s. Gallaudet won multiple conference championships in the North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) in that period, under coaches Bill Snape<\/strong> and Larry Curran<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of it for us was simply putting together a team that had real energy for swimming, and then building from there,\u201d Snape said. He acknowledged that his teams didn\u2019t quite have big numbers in terms of participation, but made up for it in terms of effort.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSometimes you\u2019d be recruiting very inexperienced swimmers, and just offering to teach them,” Snape said. \u201cIt was more about that energy level we were able to bring.”\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Bennett admitted he has similarly had to strain in terms of recruiting. To him, this style of recruiting has created a bit of a talent gap for the program. Some swimmers are working on being competitive and winning races, while others are still learning the basic skills of the sport.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

To the coach, it goes back to continuing to be an advocate for hearing-impaired athletes in the sport. Bennett looks to help these swimmers \u201cfill gaps\u201d that may have occurred in their swim experience in their youth.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOn a hearing team, there\u2019s so much talking going on, with key terms and information, that these kids miss out on key information and fail to master these skills,\u201d he said. \u201cI might even spend more time on a beginner swimmer than an advanced swimmer, just so that I can make sure they\u2019re able to fill in what they missed out on.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Wilding started out at Gallaudet as one of those swimmers, only swimming recreationally in the past. He found the experience of learning the sport at Gallaudet to be a smooth and enjoyable introduction.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a sport I\u2019ve really grown to enjoy,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019ve been able to become so much more confident in my skills.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Wilding pointed much of the credit for that development back to Bennett.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHe helps us in the pool, and supports us through school,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s someone who really wants us to succeed.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

New Technology Helps Turn the Tables<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Gallaudet\u2019s development as a team in the pool has been an achievement on its own. But throughout the process, the team has also turned into an advocate for all of deaf swimming.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Back in 2017, under Curran, the program proposed to the NCAA a reaction-light system, which would remove one of the largest disadvantages for deaf swimmers: the start. A green light would flash on the block when swimmers were supposed to leave, rather than relying on hand signals.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSo much of our mindset was about ensuring these swimmers were treated fairly,\u201d Snape, who helped work with the team on the petition, said. \u201cWe put so much work into that, which made it a great metaphor for our own team, as we worked hard and saw success.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The groundbreaking change was approved a year later, and is now used by the program at many of its meets, including the conference championships.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The reaction lights aren\u2019t the only technology the Bison use to make the sport easier for their swimmers. The team installed LumaLanes<\/a> at their pool, which allow swimmers to track intervals during practice. A light on the bottom of the pool flashes when swimmers have to leave during an interval. It also helps them pace, through the light moving at the interval they\u2019re attempting to hit. If a swimmer is moving faster than the light, they are above pace, and behind it, they are off.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been really successful in making a more accessible environment for our deaf swimmers,\u201d Bennett said. \u201cWe\u2019re really creating opportunities (for our athletes).\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Contributing to the Community<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Gallaudet has helped deaf athletes make massive strides in the sport. But according to Snape, there\u2019s still a lot of room for improvement, in terms of how the swimmers are treated.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDeaf swimming is at a unique disadvantage in America,\u201d he said. The coach explained that deaf athletes are not subsidized, as they do not fit under the Paralympic structure.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cUnlike in some other countries, where deaf swimming is subsidized, it\u2019s hard to get money to support,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Gallaudet doesn\u2019t struggle with these same problems, per Bennett. The coach expressed a belief that the program is well-supported by the university, and adequately funded. However, he stressed that the school still looks to help deaf swimming in America in another way: by providing opportunities for the deaf to learn how to swim.<\/span><\/p>\n

Gallaudet hosts a swim school at its pool, with ASL-fluent students serving as instructors. Bennett cited it as an opportunity to give back to the community.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBeing able to give them a chance (to be involved in swimming) is so important,\u201d he said. Many swimmers, he said, are not involved in the sport due to a fear that stems from parental figures.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSo many parents never envision their kids being a part of a swim team, because they don\u2019t want their child to feel left out in an environment that is not exactly inclusive toward them,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t want them to miss out on the opportunity, by \u2018taking the easy way out.'”<\/span><\/p>\n

The coach pointed to getting non-swimmers involved in helping with the lessons, and around the pool, as an important step.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere are many who are interested in swimming (competitively), but aren\u2019t quite ready,\u201d he said. \u201cWe want everyone to know there are careers in swimming that deaf people can participate in.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

By helping break down barriers, the program is making history. The main focus, however, remains on their upcoming season, and replicating a great finish a year ago.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe cheering and the energy we felt at conference championships was incredible last year,\u201d Wilding said. \u201cWe really want to keep that energy this season.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

In the end, by \u201ckeeping the energy,\u201d the team looks to grow and represent the deaf swimming community well.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI hope to continue building a team that cares and supports each other, while we continue to build our strength,\u201d Bennett said. <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Gallaudet University Breaking Barriers in Deaf Swimming For Stephanie Danner, swim practice was always a gift.\u00a0 Spending time at the local pool with her brothers was a constant joy, gallivanting<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":146625,"featured_media":646910,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"dois","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[3,122077,6,7],"tags":[58132,36960],"class_list":["post-646889","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-americas","category-college","category-usa","tag-deaf","tag-gallaudet-university"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"\r\nGallaudet University Breaking Barriers in Deaf 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