. . . TO ACCEPT THE CHALLENGE! We teach the healing powers of the sea, in how we view ourselves, each other, even the world around us. Challenges are about believing in new directions and embarking on them with a sense of excitement and adventure. Discover the changes available for you in working with the disabled whether you’re a Scuba Diving Instructor, a person with a disability, or a diver seeking the personal enrichment of learning how to dive with a handicap partner. The PHSA Mission Statement Founded in 1992, Poseidon Handicap Scuba Adventures, a non-profit organization, dedicates itself to improving the physical and social well being of people with disabilities by teaching underwater educational programs to disabled individuals utilizing the Handicap Scuba Association guidelines. WHO WE ARE Poseidon Handicap Scuba Adventures (PHSA) was founded by Mark Rausch in 1992 and teaches disabled and supporting able-bodied individuals underwater educational programs utilizing the Handicap Scuba Association guidelines. PHSA is a 501 © (3) non-profit organization and donations made to us are tax deductible and gratefully accepted. WHAT WE DO. PHSA teaches the following Specialized Educational Programs: These programs were developed in conjunction with two major certifying agencies, PADI (Professional Diving Instructors Association) and NAUI (National Association of Underwater Instructors).
The course provides 3 full days of intensive, insightful theory and application for those instructors eager to accept the challenge of sharpening their teaching skills. Each instructor acquires medical information through 10 hours of lectures on disabilities- what they are and how they relate to diving- followed by a series of confined and open water exercises, designed to simulate disabilities. By ”acting out” these handicaps, instructors actually experience what it is like to BE a mobility or sight-impaired diver, a sensitizing, often surprising revelation even for instructor who have been teaching diving for many years.
Either from accident or disease about 15% of the population is statistically classified as ”handicapped”. In the United States alone this percentage translates into Millions of people, many of whom are fully capable of becoming scuba divers. Our open water training programs are taught with a high margin of safety because we use teaching techniques developed with over 20 years of continues research and feedback. Handicap students are trained and certified according to HSA physical performance standards and a Multi-Level certification system so exacting and sensitive it enables us to train people with a wide range of disabilities, including paraplegia, quadriplegia, even the blind and those with high-functioning brain injuries or mild retardation. We base our students diving proficiency on their ability to assist another diver in the water. For instance, if you’re a Level A diver, you’re certified to dive with one other person; a Level B diver must dive with TWO divers and a Level C diver not only requires two dive buddies but one must be trained in diver rescue. After meeting the requirements of Basic ”Open Water”, some of our A, B, and C divers go on to obtain an ”Advanced” level of certification.
Our ”Dive Buddy Program” offer able-bodied divers the opportunity to expand their underwater world to include sharing it with a handicap partner. An HSA certified Dive Buddy receives nearly as much information and skill training as an instructor, except the training focuses on recreation, not instruction. |
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Mr. Rausch holds (3) separate recreational scuba diving instructorships from separate agencies:
Mr. Mark Rausch is a 1985 Graduate of Michigan Technological University in Geological Engineering, holds a Masters Degree in Health Care Administration and is a Professional Engineer in the State of Florida. Mr. Rausch began teaching recreational scuba diving in 1987 and has taught paraplegic and quadriplegic individuals to scuba dive. Mark is currently in Iraq now as a Captain in the Air Force Reserves returning in September 2010. |
Hello,
My name is Vince and I’m with the Christopher Reeve Foundation. I’m doing a review of some of our contacts and would like to know if you are still in operation. If so, I would like to list you on our website as a resource in the are that you are located.
Please reach out to confirm. Would love to hear from you.
Thanks!
-Vince
Hello Vince! we sure are – let me know if you were able to receive this message.
Thanks!
This hasn’t been updated in a while, do you still teach open water certification? If so, where in MI?
Selena
Hello Selena – yes we are! I can be reached at phsaceo@att.net
Do you have any beginner classes scheduled for 2017? My son is disabled.
Hi There
Do you have an email address for me? Im very interested in doing the HSA Coarse and finding out what possibilities there are for work once ive completed the qualification?
At the moment I have open water, adv open water,efr,rescue, ppb, Altitude I want to go to Instructor level and do the HSA coarse but I stay in South Africa would this be recognised in your organisation ? and would there be any openings available?
Hello, I would really be grateful to be able to speak with someone about getting training for my step son who is 29 and was I’m a motorcycle accident last December, he has always loved scuba diving and wants to do it again even though he is paralyzed from t4 down. Would like to find out more information and he has had training years ago before the accident but never finalized by taking the test. He has knowledge but of course now we want to know what is entailed and how do we go about getting him back into this. Thank you.
I am legally blind with tunnel vision. My vision is similar to looking through a straw. What vision I do have is clear. I am a strong swimmer and very comfortable in the water. I believe that my primary issues with scuba diving would be that I would not be able to serve as a buddy and I would need help in staying with a group and seeing on coming obstacles. I am very interested in learning about how you might be able to help me. I live in SW Indiana and would need a class schedule that would minimize the number of trips I would need to make to your location. Can you please tell me more about the courses you offer and how you may be able to help me? Can you also let me know where in Michigan you are located? Thanks for your help.
Hi Mark,
My name is Krystina Miller. I am a physical therapist and a dive instructor here in Michigan. I work with various adaptive sports organizations, and I have been working on expanding offerings for adaptive SCUBA diving. I am interested in obtaining my HSA instructor certification. I am also interested in putting together, or working with an organization to put together, a trip for several divers I work with. I have an opportunity to get a scholarship to assist with course fees. Do you have an estimate for the HSA instructor fees and more information of the course location?
Thank you!
I am handicapped and interested in getting certified. I am currently in Florida but own a home in Michigan and was wondering where your training facility is and when courses would be available.?
Very interested in becoming an instructor for the “HANDICAP-ABLE”.
I have a plan to open a facility in the perfect place.
Please call me ASAP so we can get started.
Where is Posiden located in MI? We have a young 30 yr old family member who recently became paraplegic He is open water scuba certified and we would like to help him continue scuba diving.
Yes, we sure can! please contact me at phsaceo@att.net