Research Report – Your Thoughts about Sport
Key findings
Deaf children and young people (dcyp) enjoy a vast range of sports and leisure activities.
Swimming and Football are the two most popular sports, both in terms of the sports played and the
sports dcyp would like to participate in.
The majority (52%) of dcyp participate at mainstream sports clubs, 22% at deaf sports clubs and
approximately only 10% participating at pan-disability sports clubs. The remainder (16%) play at
both mainstream and deaf sports clubs. The majority state they ‘don’t mind’ if they play at a deaf
sports club or a mainstream sports club.
Many dcyp state that communication is ’very easy’ or ’easy’ for them, however many also report
communication difficulties and negative experiences when asked further. This may be due to dcyp
‘accepting’ the service from a sports club being of a lower quality than the service provided to a
hearing young person.
Background
In summer 2012 the National Deaf Children’s Society (NDCS) put together a short survey, to gain
the views and opinions of dcyp people on sport. All the young people were aged 12 to 18, the
questions focused on their sports participation and preferences.
Distribution
The below was the text used to attract deaf children and young people to complete the survey;
Your thoughts about sport! We want to know what you think about sport!
With a Summer packed full of the Football European Championships, Wimbledon Tennis
Championships and the Greatest Show on Earth - the London 2012 Olympics it’s clear that sport is
really important to us! We realise that sport is also really important to deaf children and young
people.
Here at the NDCS we are always looking for your advice to help us shape our work, what we
provide and how we support deaf children and young people. So we want to know if you like sport,
if you want to play more sport, the reasons you don’t play sport and loads more! All your
experiences are really valuable to us, so if you tell us about a club that wasn’t accessible maybe
we can help the club or if you say you want more tennis opportunities we can look to get more
tennis clubs being fully accessible to deaf young people.
If you are aged 12 to 18, please fill in the below questionnaire.
The survey was placed on the NDCS website, Buzz website, posted on various social media
networks, sent through school and youth group contacts, taken to NDCS events, family fun days
and a school visit to Jack Hunt school was coordinated by Me2 Assistant; Mei-Yee Jones.
Response
The survey gathered a total of 84 responses, from 12 year olds to 18 years. 73% of those
completing the survey were female. The respondents attended a variety of schools, including deaf
schools (for example, Mary Hare Deaf School), Hearing Impaired Resource Bases (Jack Hunt
School) and mainstream education (Larkmead School).
Questions
Do you play sport?
Nearly all of those who completed the survey did already play sport (94%), either at school, a
sports club, youth club or other venue.
What sports do you play outside of school?
Football was the most popular sport, with swimming and tennis also coming up highly popular.
Netball, cricket and badminton were also frequently selected. Sports had a wide range of
selections, with other 25 different sports being listed by the deaf children and young people who
completed the survey.
Diagram: Sports played outside of school by dcyp (percentage)
Athletics
Badminton
Ballet
Basketball
Boxing
Canoeing
Climbing
Cricket
Cycling
Dance
Fencing
Fishing
Football
Golf
Hockey
Horse Riding
Ice Skating
Judo
Kick Boxing
Netball
Rounders / Softball / Baseball
Rugby
Skateboarding
Skiing
Snowboarding
Squash
Swimming
Table Tennis
Taekwondo
Tennis
Gymnastics / Trampoline
20
18
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
How often do you play sport outside of school per week?
18% did not play sport outside of school, 59% played sport 1 to 3 times a week outside of school,
while 25% played sport 4 to 7 times a week outside of school. Initially these figures would look very
encouraging, with the vast majority of respondents enjoying participating in sport outside of school
and a quarter participating very frequently.
Nb. The results above must be placed into the context that the majority of the respondents
completed the survey as they likely had an interest in sport. See limitations.
What are the names of the sports clubs you attend?
The answers from this question were incredibly varied, with over 14 different sports listed. Only two
children listed the same sports club (Heaton Tennis Club), indicating the breadth and width of
sports clubs deaf children and young people attend.
Do you play sport at a mainstream sports club or at a deaf sports club?
The majority (52%) of respondents stated they played sport at a mainstream sports club, 22% at a
deaf sports club, and 16% at both a mainstream and deaf sports club. Only 10% of deaf children
and young people stated they played at a pan-disability sports club (sports club for children with
different kinds of disabilities).
Notable comments;
‘I mostly play tennis, badminton and cricket with my brother and sister because they understand
hearing loss and they know what to do to include me and make sure I can hear them. It much
easier to play sports with my family and makes the sports fun.’
‘Some day deaf club and some day mix of H (hearing) + D (deaf) people’
Would you prefer to play at a mainstream sports club or at a deaf sports club?
59% of respondents stated they ‘don’t mind’ if they are playing at a mainstream sports club or a
deaf sports club. The other options were split relatively equally – playing at a deaf sports club or
playing at a mainstream sports club. It seems clear that deaf children and young people see the
values and benefits of attending both a mainstream sports club and a deaf sports club.
Notable comments;
‘I prefer to play at a mainstream as it feels more normal and more to my ability than a deaf club’
‘I don't mind to play with a mixture of deaf and hearing people as long as hearing people are deaf
aware.’
‘I would prefer mainstream because it gives you a better experience of the outside world but I
would like them to be deaf aware.’
‘I would prefer to go to a deaf club because everyone would know what it's like to be deaf also I
would make deaf friends which I dream of doing.’
‘I would like it if there was a deaf sports club near me. It would be nice to interact with other deaf
students my age.’
‘I don't mind at all. I don't need hearing to participate in judo and kick boxing!’
‘I don't mind to get involved with a mixture of people as long as I enjoy what I do’
It is clear from the comments that although deaf children and young people consider
communication, there really is no one size fits all answer. Deaf children and young people attend
sports clubs based on numerous factors (including enjoyment, locality, ability, friends and deaf
awareness).
How easy do you find it to communicate with other children and adults at the club?
70% of deaf children and young people stated communication was ‘very easy’ or ‘easy’. Only 6
(10%) respondents stated it was ‘difficult’ or ‘very difficult’. The others were ‘not sure’.
Notable comments;
‘I can communicate with hearing people quite easily but most of the time I am left out and I don't
understand what they are saying’
‘Swimming is hard because I cannot wear my hearing aid. It is hard to communicate’
‘It is easy as long as they know to look at me when talking but sometimes they do forget’
‘They use writing or tell teacher to tell me’
It appears from the statistical response that communication at the majority of sports clubs is not a
major issue. However within the comments there are numerous examples of dcyp raising issues
and problems they have and do encounter at sports clubs. Perhaps what is happening is that dcyp
are ‘coping’ with poor communication.
Nb. 94% of the respondents did participate in sport, the majority several times a week. Therefore it
is hard to accurately account for the number of dcyp who received such a low quality experience
(potentially due to communication barriers) that they no longer play sport or were disenchanted
with participating in sport. See limitations.
How important it is for you to have communication or interpreter support when at a sports
club?
Despite the majority of dcyp stating communication was easy or very easy at their sports club, 46%
viewed having communication or interpreter support as very important or extremely important. 32%
stated that they didn’t view it as important. The rest were ‘unsure’. This clearly shows the differing
needs and support needs dcyp want and require to support them to achieve to their full potential.
Notable comments;
‘When the instructor is explaining the rules and I can't hear him/her or don't understand I usually
ask them to repeat but they get angry at me and say that I wasn't listening. This has put me off
asking them so I don't know what to do and I am put onto the bench or not included with the sports.
If someone is calling me while playing the sport and I don't respond because I can't hear them, I
could have lost a goal for them which annoys them, it also looks like I do not work as a team so I
am labelled as a "bad team player" and "not good at sports" so I never get on the teams. It upsets
me and makes me frustrated, not because I didn't get on the team but because I can't enjoy sports
and I am not able to join in because of my hearing’
‘I mainly use speech and not everyone knows I am deaf and I like to keep it that way cause I worry
their attitudes will change if they knew I was deaf’
‘I think I have collected all information provided but I do miss things. Interpreters are brilliant to
have’
‘I can cope’
It appears from the comments that dcyp are in some cases ‘getting by’, purely accepting ‘that’s the
way it is’ and potentially experiencing a lower quality experience than their hearing counter-parts.
If you don’t play sport outside of school, is there a reason for this?
The two most popular answers from the 6 options were ‘There’s no deaf sports clubs nearby’
(35%) and ‘I worry people won’t be able to communicate with me’ (31%).
Evidently there is a lack of deaf sports clubs local to dcyp; it may also be that dcyp are unaware of
the deaf sports clubs nearby to them. The response also shows the worry and anxiety many dcyp
are facing when looking to participate in sport outside of a school environment.
Notable comments;
‘Problem if no interpreter how can you listen or play’
‘Past coach retired, a young person took over and is not deaf aware and leaves me out’
Are there any sports you would like to play, that you don’t already? If yes, please list below
which sports you’d most like to play
100% of the surveyed dcyp stated that there was at least 1 other sport they would like to
participate in. The results were a complete cross-section of sports. 18 sports in total were listed.
Football and swimming were the two most popular sports, although the degree of difference
between the sports was marginal.
The widespread cross-section shows the wide ranging activities dcyp wish to participate in, just like
any other child or young person.
Any other information
This survey is only a small sample of deaf children and young people, but it is clear that deaf
children and young people wish to a variety of different sports and leisure activities. And as such,
the barriers deaf children and young people are completely widespread. For example, a quote from
a deaf young person who completed the ‘any other information’ section;
I was riding my bike last week just to get some exercise and I got told off for riding on the
pavement, the guy was telling me how dangerous it was and that you should ride on the road. I
have been taught to ride on the road but I don't want to risk getting injured because I can't hear the
cars behind me, should I still carry on riding on the pavement?
It is clear we will not be able to tackle every barrier in every sport, but if we can provide information
and resources and (vitally) get National Governing Bodies to ‘buy in’ to supporting deaf young
people we can achieve widespread outcomes for deaf children and young people.
Summary
The survey has ascertained the thoughts of many dcyp, including the sports they already enjoy and
the sports they would like to participate in. Swimming and football repeatedly came out as the two
most popular sports, with a small range of other sports (tennis, cricket, netball and badminton) also
relatively popular. The one resounding result was that dcyp enjoy and wish to enjoy a massive
range of sports and activities.
Dcyp all have differing preferences and support needs, the vast majority do not mind if they are
playing in a mainstream, a deaf or a disability sports club. The factor viewed as more important is
that the club is accessible and is enjoyable to the young person.
The results to the communication questions appear to give relatively conflicting results. On one
side dcyp are stating they find it easy to communicate at sports clubs, however, on the other side
dcyp are stating that communication support is important and reporting several issues and
negative experiences. It would appear dcyp are ‘accepting’ the service from a sports club being of
a lower quality than the service provided to a hearing young person.
Dcyp are clearly demonstrating a concern and reporting a negative perception of sports clubs,
which is clearly limiting their desire to attend and making attending for that first time a sizeable
barrier. Dcyp are stating their positive experiences of clubs and coaches adapting, exhibiting
tolerance and being deaf-friendly. But for every positive experience there are still many negative
experiences resulting in a dcyp never really knowing what to expect when entering a sports club.
Limitations of the survey
The survey size is relatively small – 84 responses
The survey was completed predominantly by females
The survey was completed almost predominantly by young people who are participating in sport
and engaging with sports activities in a school, club or other environment
The survey was predominantly completed by young people who are in some way already engaged
in NDCS services, whether this be attending one of our Family Fun Days, being a member of the
Buzz website or being involved in the Youth Advisory Board.