<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[Equitable Aquatics with Kate Connell]]></title><description><![CDATA[Empowering diversity in aquatics, one splash at a time!]]></description><link>https://connellkatherinee.wixsite.com/equitable-aquatics-w/resources-og</link><generator>RSS for Node</generator><lastBuildDate>Tue, 18 Aug 2026 18:48:40 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://www.equitableaquatics.com/blog-feed.xml" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><item><title><![CDATA[Article: Breastfeeding and Chestfeeding at Your Pool: What Staff Need to Know and What the Law Actually Says]]></title><description><![CDATA[A parent settles into a chair on the pool deck and begins nursing their baby. Another patron complains to a lifeguard. The lifeguard, who has never received any guidance on this, asks the parent to move to a more private area. The parent knows their rights. The interaction escalates. A complaint is filed. This scenario happens at aquatic facilities across the country, consistently, and almost always because staff were never given the information they needed to handle it correctly. This is a...]]></description><link>https://www.equitableaquatics.com/post/article-breastfeeding-and-chestfeeding-at-your-pool-what-staff-need-to-know-and-what-the-law-actua</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a792503421979b2d9787fba</guid><pubDate>Mon, 10 Aug 2026 01:32:00 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>Kate Connell</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Article: Practical Neurodiversity Strategies Aquatic Leaders Can Implement Tomorrow]]></title><description><![CDATA[Aquatic environments are sensory-rich spaces by nature. Whistles, splashing, music, transitions between activities, and high expectations for safety all happen simultaneously on deck. For many swimmers and staff members this environment is energizing, but for others it can quickly become overwhelming. Neurodivergence already exists within aquatic facilities — across swim lessons, staffing teams, guest service interactions, and emergency response situations. When behavior is misunderstood as...]]></description><link>https://www.equitableaquatics.com/post/article-practical-neurodiversity-strategies-aquatic-leaders-can-implement-tomorrow</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a74decad229eba5d8ab74e9</guid><pubDate>Thu, 06 Aug 2026 19:22:46 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/914486_04e00703aa6d47d9852b36bc7fb1014f~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_683,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Kate Connell</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Article: When a Swimmer Doesn't Respond the Way You Expect: A Neurodivergent-Aware Emergency Framework]]></title><description><![CDATA[Lifeguards are trained to respond to emergencies. They practice rescues, run drills, and learn protocols. What most of them are not trained for is the swimmer who doesn't respond the way the protocol assumes they will. A patron pacing the deck and covering their ears after a whistle blast. A child curled on the pool deck who is not responding verbally but is breathing normally. A teen walking fast toward the exit during an emergency announcement. These situations happen. And when staff don't...]]></description><link>https://www.equitableaquatics.com/post/article-when-a-swimmer-doesn-t-respond-the-way-you-expect-a-neurodivergent-aware-emergency-framewo</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a74de7e7e238b0b8adae3c8</guid><pubDate>Thu, 06 Aug 2026 19:20:51 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/914486_0a424ea604c642858c5d0a980a18ad32~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_575,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Kate Connell</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Article: Supporting Neurodivergent Staff on Your Aquatic Team]]></title><description><![CDATA[The conversation about neurodivergence in aquatics almost always centers on swimmers. How do we support a neurodivergent child in swim lessons? How do we respond when a patron's behavior doesn't match our expectations? These are important questions. But there is a parallel conversation that most aquatic facilities have not started yet: how do we support the neurodivergent staff already on our teams? Neurodivergence does not disappear when someone puts on a uniform. Lifeguards, swim...]]></description><link>https://www.equitableaquatics.com/post/article-supporting-neurodivergent-staff-on-your-aquatic-team</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a74de2bd229eba5d8ab738d</guid><pubDate>Thu, 06 Aug 2026 19:19:39 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/914486_6cea735e0a77453a8e9252b7ec43b612~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Kate Connell</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Article: Invisible Disabilities at the Pool: What Your Facility Is Probably Missing]]></title><description><![CDATA[Most aquatic facilities have thought about wheelchair ramps and pool lifts. Fewer have thought about the swimmer who looks completely fine walking in but cannot pull themselves out of the pool. Or the swimmer managing an ostomy bag who has never seen a facility policy that addresses their situation and quietly wonders if they are welcome. Visible disabilities prompted most of our access infrastructure. Invisible disabilities are where the gaps still live — and where a little intentionality...]]></description><link>https://www.equitableaquatics.com/post/invisible-disabilities-at-the-pool-what-your-facility-is-probably-missing</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a74d7132dc76a37da3b796b</guid><pubDate>Thu, 06 Aug 2026 18:48:55 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/914486_4d8df80dd86945ddb15e54f230abac62~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_870,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Kate Connell</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Article: Neurodivergent Swimmers Deserve Better]]></title><description><![CDATA[Most aquatic facilities were not designed with neurodivergent swimmers in mind. The noise, the crowds, the unpredictability, the sensory overload of a busy pool deck — these are real barriers that keep neurodivergent swimmers and their families from accessing aquatic spaces. And most staff have never been given the tools to recognize what's happening or respond in a way that actually helps. Here is what your team needs to know. What Neurodivergence Actually Means in Your Facility...]]></description><link>https://www.equitableaquatics.com/post/neurodivergent-swimmers-deserve-better</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a74d6d52dc76a37da3b78c6</guid><pubDate>Thu, 06 Aug 2026 18:47:59 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/914486_296251506c5d4642a405076be8210016~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_683,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Kate Connell</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Article: If Your Safety Signs Are Only in English, You Have a Safety Problem]]></title><description><![CDATA[Language access at aquatic facilities is not a customer service issue. It is a safety issue. When a parent cannot read the depth markers, when a swimmer cannot understand the lifeguard's instruction, when a family cannot follow the emergency evacuation procedure because it was posted only in English — the consequences are not inconvenience. They are injury and death. Aquatic facilities serve the full diversity of their communities. Most of them communicate as though their communities are...]]></description><link>https://www.equitableaquatics.com/post/if-your-safety-signs-are-only-in-english-you-have-a-safety-problem</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a74d6b17e238b0b8adad13e</guid><pubDate>Thu, 06 Aug 2026 18:47:15 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/914486_c52c09a509f14c29a94a5740b55f8471~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Kate Connell</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Article: Is Your Programming Calendar Accidentally Excluding the Communities You Want to Serve? ]]></title><description><![CDATA[Cultural and Religious Calendar Awareness for Aquatic Facilities Most aquatic facility directors plan their programming calendar the same way every year. Summer kickoff in late May. Big family event over Fourth of July weekend. Back-to-school special in August. Holiday break programming in December. That calendar was built around a specific set of cultural assumptions — and it quietly signals to a significant portion of your community that the facility was not designed with them in mind....]]></description><link>https://www.equitableaquatics.com/post/is-your-programming-calendar-accidentally-excluding-the-communities-you-want-to-serve</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a74d606c34aae87f0df150e</guid><pubDate>Thu, 06 Aug 2026 18:46:05 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/914486_0a424ea604c642858c5d0a980a18ad32~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_575,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Kate Connell</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Article: If They Can't Get There, Nothing Else Matters: Transportation as an Equity Issue in Aquatics]]></title><description><![CDATA[Aquatic facilities spend real energy on making programming affordable, inclusive, and welcoming. Reduced admission fees, scholarship programs, free swim nights — all of it matters. But there is a barrier that sits upstream of all of it that most facilities have never addressed: getting there in the first place. If a family cannot physically get to your pool, your pricing structure is irrelevant. Your inclusive programming is irrelevant. Your welcoming staff are irrelevant. Transportation is...]]></description><link>https://www.equitableaquatics.com/post/if-they-can-t-get-there-nothing-else-matters-transportation-as-an-equity-issue-in-aquatics</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a74d3daf845350cb2a8b4a3</guid><pubDate>Thu, 06 Aug 2026 18:36:36 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/914486_95bf50f2190d4e19a33bfc4ecf81b30c~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_683,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Kate Connell</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Article: Hijab, Burkinis, and Modest Swimwear at Your Aquatic Facility: What Staff Need to Know]]></title><description><![CDATA[If your lifeguards have ever hesitated when a swimmer walked in wearing a burkini, a hijab, or a full-coverage rash guard — that hesitation is a training gap, not a personal failing. Most aquatic staff have never been given clear guidance on this. They're left to make a judgment call in real time, in front of a patron, with a line forming behind them. That's not a fair position to put anyone in. Here's what your team needs to know. Modest Swimwear Is Not New, and It's Not Rare Modest swimwear...]]></description><link>https://www.equitableaquatics.com/post/hijab-burkinis-and-modest-swimwear-at-your-aquatic-facility-what-staff-need-to-know</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a74cdadc34aae87f0df02a0</guid><pubDate>Thu, 06 Aug 2026 18:29:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/914486_31a01852f763423596b1e7e7e65fcfcd~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Kate Connell</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Article: Are Service Animals Allowed at Pools? ADA Rules for Aquatic Facilities]]></title><description><![CDATA[Few topics create more confusion at the front desk than service animals. A family arrives with a dog. A staff member panics. Nobody is quite sure what the rules are, what they're allowed to ask, or what happens if the animal enters the water. This post exists because that confusion is avoidable — and because getting this wrong exposes your facility to ADA complaints, discrimination claims, and the kind of incident that ends up in a Facebook group for all the wrong reasons. Here is what your...]]></description><link>https://www.equitableaquatics.com/post/are-service-animals-allowed-at-pools-ada-rules-for-aquatic-facilities</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a74d021cc18b11502714186</guid><pubDate>Thu, 06 Aug 2026 18:20:33 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/914486_04e00703aa6d47d9852b36bc7fb1014f~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_683,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Kate Connell</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Podcast: On a Mission to Make Aquatics More Equitable]]></title><description><![CDATA[On today’s episode of Open Space Radio, I’m thrilled to be joined by one of this year’s recipients of the NRPA Young Professional...]]></description><link>https://www.equitableaquatics.com/post/podcast-on-a-mission-to-make-aquatics-more-equitable</link><guid isPermaLink="false">672265a70e7b29267763bf8f</guid><pubDate>Wed, 30 Oct 2024 16:59:02 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/914486_767a04b04b6343b6a840b9e0ca405488~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Kate Connell</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Video: Current Equity Trends in Aquatics]]></title><description><![CDATA[In this interview, Katie talks to Kate Connell about current trends in equity in the aquatics space. Originally posted by Lakeview...]]></description><link>https://www.equitableaquatics.com/post/video</link><guid isPermaLink="false">672264ea50be8b2cff02c85b</guid><pubDate>Wed, 30 Oct 2024 16:55:42 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/914486_6cea735e0a77453a8e9252b7ec43b612~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Kate Connell</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Video: The Inclusive Aquatics Inventory]]></title><description><![CDATA[Audit your aquatic programming, pool policies, and personnel practices for access and inclusivity. In this interactive workshop, we'll...]]></description><link>https://www.equitableaquatics.com/post/video-the-inclusive-aquatics-inventory</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6722647b036590cae36834b5</guid><pubDate>Wed, 30 Oct 2024 16:54:27 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/914486_59877206aa0149ff873ffe8de2e00511~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_768,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Kate Connell</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Featured: Iowa City Parks and Rec Named a Best of Aquatics Honoree]]></title><description><![CDATA[A new Pride at the Pool event to recognize the local LGBTQ+ community demonstrates two clear hallmarks of a strong community. Originally...]]></description><link>https://www.equitableaquatics.com/post/featured-iowa-city-parks-and-rec-named-a-best-of-aquatics-honoree</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6722642450be8b2cff02c5fe</guid><pubDate>Wed, 30 Oct 2024 16:52:21 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/914486_e7dd895f525b49928c70d59ca6cea5a5~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_876,h_584,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Kate Connell</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Featured: Learn How to Create an Inclusive Environment in Your Aquatics Facility]]></title><description><![CDATA[The joyous and healing properties of water are universal. They connect us by representing a common thread that brings communities...]]></description><link>https://www.equitableaquatics.com/post/featured-learn-how-to-create-an-inclusive-environment-in-your-aquatics-facility</link><guid isPermaLink="false">672263ca3b2cccd224e048f7</guid><pubDate>Wed, 30 Oct 2024 16:51:04 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/914486_13a73ec6d8ab40dbac237f441b6fea23~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_605,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Kate Connell</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Article: Inclusiveness in Aquatics: Baked-in Equitability]]></title><description><![CDATA[Many aquatic professionals feel committed to fostering inclusive aquatic experiences and programs for their communities. A facility’s...]]></description><link>https://www.equitableaquatics.com/post/article-inclusiveness-in-aquatics-baked-in-equitability</link><guid isPermaLink="false">672263510e7b29267763b812</guid><pubDate>Wed, 30 Oct 2024 16:49:03 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/914486_e7dd1286bd5b4ee186c748a9c38ddf8a~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_876,h_584,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Kate Connell</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Article: DEI Resources for Aquatic Professionals]]></title><description><![CDATA[Embracing diversity, fostering equity, and promoting inclusion are not just buzzwords – they are fundamental pillars shaping a vibrant...]]></description><link>https://www.equitableaquatics.com/post/article-dei-resources-for-aquatic-professionals</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6722631450be8b2cff02c278</guid><pubDate>Wed, 30 Oct 2024 16:47:37 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/914486_99cc7fa588cf41c28db105da511c8ef2~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Kate Connell</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Article: Diversity in Aquatics Hiring ]]></title><description><![CDATA[The “lifeguard shortage” pulls up  over 1.2 million search results  and is top of mind for all of us in the aquatic industry. Even if we...]]></description><link>https://www.equitableaquatics.com/post/empowering-parks-and-rec-equitable-aquatics-solutions</link><guid isPermaLink="false">672235773b2cccd224dfb18b</guid><pubDate>Wed, 30 Oct 2024 13:32:39 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/914486_4d8df80dd86945ddb15e54f230abac62~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_870,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Kate Connell</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Article: Crafting a Diversity Statement]]></title><description><![CDATA[A diversity statement for an organization is a formal declaration or statement that outlines the organization’s commitment to diversity,...]]></description><link>https://www.equitableaquatics.com/post/inclusive-aquatics-key-strategies-for-parks-and-recreation-professionals</link><guid isPermaLink="false">672235773b2cccd224dfb18c</guid><pubDate>Wed, 30 Oct 2024 13:32:39 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/914486_4d8df80dd86945ddb15e54f230abac62~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_870,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Kate Connell</dc:creator></item></channel></rss>