KOTA KINABALU: Wheelchair-bound Nurizati Zahidah Hasanudin set a goal to change her Facebook profile photo to one of herself scuba diving in the open sea.
The 26-year-old, who was diagnosed with spina bifida when she was born, said that when she used to scroll through social media, she would often come across images of people scuba diving.
"I always thought that such activities were only possible for able-bodied individuals.
"But when a medical doctor approached me to join this scuba diving programme with DiveHeart, I told myself I am going to use my underwater photo for my Facebook profile picture," she said during the three-day Diveheart 2023 Malaysia programme which concluded today at Mamutik Island.
After her experience in the open sea, she said that scuba diving offers much more than just capturing photographs.
She felt a sense of well-being while being in the water and observing sea creatures.
Nurizati, who works at the Sabah Cheshire Home near here, hopes that more people with disabilities (PWD) will have similar opportunities.
"For individuals like us to get into the water, it requires the assistance of four to five trained volunteers to make it possible.
"Therefore, I am truly grateful to the DiveHeart organisation, medical doctors, hospitals and sponsors (Borneo Divers dive center and Attiya) for making it happen."
Nurizati is one of five participants in the inaugural diving programme for people with disabilities in Sabah, with approximately 40 volunteers participating.
The event aims to raise awareness that scuba diving, especially in Sabah as a diving haven, can be made accessible to PWDs and senior citizens with limited mobility if accessibility in terms of facilities and trained personnel is prioritised.
DiveHeart president Jim Elliot explained that the 22-year-old Chicago-based nonprofit organisation helps PWDs build self-confidence and self-esteem using "zero-gravity" or "scuba therapy."
"They (participants) spend their entire day in a wheelchair. It excites me the most to see these individuals standing up in the water for the first time.
"It helps individuals self-identify, not as someone with a disability, but as a diver who influences people around them."
DiveHeart started in Malaysia in 2015, closely collaborating with Universiti Malaysia Medical Centre on similar programmes for patients with limited mobility, autism, and Down syndrome, enabling them to enjoy the water with qualified trainers and medical personnel.
To date, DiveHeart Malaysia has trained 157 PWDs and 200 volunteers from dive centres, universities, and hospitals nationwide.
In Sabah, Borneo Divers dive centres off Mamutik Island and in Semporna have been trained to provide adaptive diving and facilities friendly to disabled individuals.
Also present were DiveHeart Malaysia ambassador Syed Abd Rahman, DiveHeart Borneo lead Ernest Teo, PADI regional manager for Malaysia, Brunei, and Singapore Mark Hedger.