A groundbreaking project from University of Brighton researchers is supporting visually impaired people across Sussex to enjoy the mental and physical benefits of open water swimming by improving access to natural water spaces.
Led by researcher Sadie Rockliffe from the University’s School of Business and Law, the project focuses on making blue spaces – such as seas, lakes, and pools – more welcoming and accessible to people with sight loss.
While outdoor swimming is increasingly recognised for its health and wellbeing benefits, many blue spaces remain inaccessible to people with visual impairments. Often designed with sightedness as the default, these environments can overlook the importance of other senses, such as touch, sound, rhythm, and temperature – which are essential for many swimmers, with or without sight.
Inclusive access to open water swimming
Sadie’s research project challenges this sight-centred approach by exploring how people with visual impairments connect with water through their other senses – and by working directly with participants to reimagine these environments as more inclusive, community-focused, and responsive to diverse sensory experiences.
By bringing together knowledge about inclusivity, nature, and wellbeing, Sadie aims to shift the conversation around accessibility, showing how water’s unique sensory qualities can be a source of wellbeing, not a barrier.
The project also draws attention to the often-overlooked sensory and spatial barriers that affect access to public spaces, including safety, navigation, and comfort.
Working with visually impaired swimmers to understand open water spaces through different senses
The first swim session will take place on Wednesday 11th June at Sea Lanes Brighton, the UK’s national open water swimming centre, and will include exclusive use of the pool, wellbeing workshop, and space for reflection.
The session has been co-designed with visually impaired participants and developed in collaboration with Sight Support Worthing, one of the region’s longest-standing charities supporting people with sight loss.
Funded by the University of Brighton’s Centre for Arts and Wellbeing, the project places lived experience at its centre, recognising the knowledge, perspectives, and priorities of the visually impaired community accessing open water swimming.
A unique feature of Sadie’s research is its “swim-along methodology” – where Sadie swims alongside participants to gather real-time insights into how they engage with the water through non-visual sensory experiences. This approach allows her to better explore participants’ feelings of connection, safety, and wellbeing, directly from their lived experience in the water.
Sadie said: “Blue spaces have incredible potential to support wellbeing, but access isn’t equal. Nature and wellness spaces are often designed with sight in mind – assuming visual appreciation as the main form of engagement. But many people, even sighted swimmers, close their eyes in the water.
“My research explores how blue spaces can be experienced through touch, sound, rhythm, and movement, but also through the materials and supports that make interdependence (the dependence of two or more people or things on each other) possible. It’s not just about swimming – it’s about creating space for people to explore and enjoy something many take for granted, in ways that feel welcoming, supported, and open to different ways of being.”
The guided swim will be followed by a wellbeing workshop led by Sadie’s PhD supervisor, Dr. Catherine Kelly, a Senior Lecturer at the University of Brighton and expert in blue spaces.
Dr. Kelly, who serves on the executive board of the Sussex UNESCO Biosphere: The Living Coast and works with the Environment Agency’s National Blue Space Forum, researches how natural water bodies like seas and rivers can enhance mental and physical health.
Dr. Catherine Kelly said: “We often think of nature as something that just ‘is’ – something we all access in the same way. But that’s not true. This project invites us to rethink how we design natural experiences and to recognise that people engage through many different sensory channels, highlighting the often-overlooked challenges that people with sensory disabilities face when trying to access blue space wellbeing activities.”
Sadie, Catherine and colleagues at the University of Brighton hope this initiative will inspire leisure centres, charities, and policymakers to rethink how blue spaces and open water swimming can be made more accessible and inclusive by listening to the voices and experiences of people who are too often excluded from mainstream design and decision-making.
This initiative aligns with the University of Brighton’s strong commitment to social impact and community engagement. From advancing inclusive research to strengthening local partnerships, the University is dedicated to shaping a future where education drives meaningful change.
Sadie Rockliffe’s wider research is supported by the Economic and Social Research Council’s South Coast Doctoral Training Partnership (ESRC SCDTP) – a multi-institutional partnership focused on training the next generation of social scientists.
How visually impaired swimmers can participate
The session at Sea Lanes is a free event, running from 10:30am to 2:30pm, and is open to adults with visual impairments. To express your interest in attending or to request further information, please contact: Sadie Rockliffe – s.rockliffe1@uni.brighton.ac.uk. Attendees are very welcome to bring a swim guide, friend, or companion if they wish.
Please note that places are limited and will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. Early enquiries are encouraged.
Have you had experiences – positive or challenging – accessing open water swimming as someone with a visual impairment or other access needs? Your insights can help inform future research and shape more inclusive blue spaces. Feel free to get in touch and share your story in the comments box, on social media or contact us to share your personal story.
