Visually impaired students scuba dive for first time

Jesi Yost - Digital First Media
The Heritage of Green Hills, Shillington, hosted a scuba diving class at its indoor pool for youth from VisionCorps.
Jesi Yost - Digital First Media
Sisters Kai Smith, 13, and Naima Smith, 12, of York, scuba dive.
Jesi Yost - Digital First Media
Wesley Harnish, 12, of Lebanon, with Adaptive Diving Association volunteer Dominic Pubbo.
Jesi Yost - Digital First Media
The Heritage of Green Hills, Shillington, hosted a scuba class for visually impaired youth from VisionCorps taught by Adaptive Diving Association. Back Row: Dale Harnish, Felicia Ramsey, Donna Garcia, Youth Enrichment Specialist of VisionCorps; Amy Giangiulio of VisionCorps; Erika Rothermel, VisionCorps teacher. Middle Row: Allen Moyer Adaptive Diving Association volunteer. Front Row: Jim Hoser, Founder and CEO of Adaptive Diving Association; Toby Harnish; Dominic Pubbo, Adaptive Diving volunteer; Naima Smith; Jennifer Eaton, VisionCorps Coordinator of Youth Services; Kai Smith; Aidan Garcia, volunteer at VisionCorps; Annie Harnish; Wesley Harnish and Tom Allan, Adaptive Diving volunteer.
Jesi Yost - Digital First Media
Annie Harnish, 12, of Lebanon, scuba dives for the first time.
Jesi Yost - Digital First Media
Jim Hoser, founder and CEO of Adaptive Diving Association, with Toby Harnish of Lebanon.
Jesi Yost - Digital First Media
Wesley Harnish scuba dives for first time.
Jesi Yost - Digital First Media
Kai Smith, 13, throws an underwater rocket.
Jesi Yost - Digital First Media
Naima Smith, 12, of York, scuba dives for the first time.
Jesi Yost - Digital First Media
Adaptive Diving Association volunteers in the water with youth from VisionCorps, a Lancaster-based non-profit organization that empowers people who are blind or vision impaired to attain independence.

PUBLISHED: April 16, 2018 at 4:35 p.m. | UPDATED: August 22, 2021 at 3:16 a.m.

By Jesi YostFor Digital First Media

As a way of giving back to the community, The Heritage of Green Hills in Shillington hosted a scuba diving class at its indoor pool for youth from VisionCorps, a Lancaster-based non-profit organization that empowers people who are blind or vision impaired to attain independence.

With the help of Adaptive Diving Association, the visually impaired youth, ages 10 to 13, scuba dive for the first time.

“Why would someone who is blind want to scuba dive?” asked Adaptive Diving Association founder and CEO Jim Hoser. “Because of their vision impairment, these youths have much higher sensory awareness when it comes to their other senses – such as hearing and touch. Their first scuba dive will be an exhilarating experience.”

Adaptive Diving Association provided all the equipment. Heritage of Green Hills provided the pool.

Hoser and Adaptive Diving Association volunteers Allen Moyer, Dominic Pubbo and Tom Allan helped VisionCorps students Annie, Toby and Wesley Harnish, Kai and Naima Smith enjoy scuba diving for the first time.