Stuart Harrison: Addressing the Gaps: Inclusion of Deaf Young People in Talent Identification Pathways (BSL)

As Vice President of UK Deaf Sport, I would like to respond to Sport England’s Head of Inclusion’s blog on talent inclusion programmes.

Dear Diane,

Your blog ‘What’s Talent got to do with it?’ posted at the end of August 2024, offers a compelling argument for broadening the scope of talent identification to be more inclusive, addressing barriers related to race, gender, and socioeconomic status. However, it falls short in acknowledging the specific needs of deaf young people who also fall under the characteristics you covered.

While it champions a more inclusive approach overall, it does not delve into the unique challenges that deaf athletes face within talent pathways. To truly create a system that is inclusive for all, including deaf young people, several critical factors must be addressed and go beyond the ideas that currently do not work.

The Unique Barriers Faced by Deaf Young People

Deaf young people encounter distinct challenges in sports and talent pathways that often go unrecognized. These challenges include communication barriers, a lack of accessible information, and the need for specialized support. Unlike other groups, where barriers might be more broadly understood, the specific needs of deaf athletes can be overlooked or underestimated, leading to their exclusion from talent identification processes. Hard of hearing young people and those with useful residual hearing often manage to navigate these challenges relatively easily compared to the more profoundly deaf athletes whose first language is BSL or have acquired BSL as their preferred language of choice. This latter group is the real focus of this reply to your blog.

Communication Barriers: For deaf athletes, communication is often the most significant barrier. Mainstream sports environments are typically designed with hearing individuals in mind, making it difficult for deaf participants to fully engage. Instructions, coaching feedback, and even social interactions can become hurdles when communication methods are not accessible.

Lack of Awareness and Training: Many coaches and talent scouts lack awareness or training on how to effectively communicate with and support deaf athletes. This can result in missed opportunities for talented deaf individuals who might otherwise excel if given the right environment and support.

Inadequate Resources and Support Systems: Deaf young people often lack access to resources that could help them navigate talent pathways. For example, there may be a shortage of interpreters, or the sports programs might not have the infrastructure to provide the necessary accommodations. Without these supports, deaf athletes may struggle to demonstrate their full potential, leading to their exclusion from talent pools.

What is Required for Inclusive Talent Identification Pathways

To make talent identification pathways genuinely inclusive for deaf young people, several key strategies need to be implemented:

1. Enhanced Communication Accessibility

– Provision of Sign Language Interpreters: Organisations are advised to ensure that qualified sign language interpreters are available at all stages of the talent identification process. This includes during training sessions, competitions, and any formal assessments or evaluations. Unfortunately, sign Language interpreters are expensive, and often beyond the reach of NGB funding, so this resource needs to be utilised strategically because BSL interpreters who understand how to work in a sports environment are as rare as hen’s teeth.

– Use of Visual Aids and Technology: Incorporate visual aids, such as video demonstrations with captions, and utilize technology like instant messaging apps for quick communication. Coaches and staff should be trained to use these tools effectively.

– Training for Coaches and Staff: Often, the suggestion is to implement mandatory training for all coaches and talent scouts on deaf awareness and effective communication strategies. This will help ensure that deaf athletes can fully participate and that their needs are understood and met. However, deafness is a low incidence and hidden disability, coaches and talent scouts may never encounter or identify a deaf athletes during their careers, even with awareness training, they lack the time or resources to make contact with this hard to reach group and involve them in talent identification pathways, so the training should be more about pathway awareness and who to work with to bring deaf athletes into the programmes.

2. Creating a Deaf-Friendly Environment

– Development of Inclusive Coaching Practices: I am profoundly deaf and a former PE teacher who has tutored with UK Coaching for almost three decades and I have been providing training to enable coaching practices to be adapted to include non-verbal communication methods, such as visual signals or tactile cues, which can help deaf athletes receive feedback and instructions effectively. My conclusion is that this strategy is failing. Thousands of coaches have been through this and similar programmes, but nothing has changed. What is needed is a workforce development programme that enables deaf coaches, scouts and staff to be trained and then deployed within existing NGB frameworks.

– Establishment of Deaf-Specific Talent Pathways: In addition to integrating some hard of hearing athletes into mainstream pathways, sport needs parallel pathways specifically for deaf athletes. These pathways can provide specialized support and resources while ensuring that deaf athletes have access to the same opportunities as their hearing peers. There is a wealth of potential coaching and staff talent already existing within the deaf sports network, this valuable resource needs to be more effectively utilised by NGBs by working with UK Deaf Sport and its member organisations who are the gateway to national and international deaf competitions and have proven to be springboards into mainstream sport and ultimately, the Olympics.

3. Raising Awareness and Changing Perceptions

– Awareness Campaigns: This September, UK Deaf Sport is launching Destination Deaflympics, a UK-wide awareness campaign. Our aim is to create an identity that is inspiring to young people and will help motivate and engage them not only in the Deaflympics and Deaf sport as a whole, but also to get active with friends and family. For more details: shannon.howarth@ukds.org.uk

– Involvement of Deaf Role Models: We need to see greater engagement successful deaf athletes as role models and mentors within talent identification pathways. Their involvement will inspire young deaf athletes and provide them with valuable guidance based on lived experience. Jodie will not mind me saying this, but when you have met her, you have only met one deaf athlete. There is a much broader spectrum of deaf role models available.

4. Collaboration with Deaf Organizations

– Partnerships with UK Deaf Sport: NGBs and sports organisations should collaborate with UKDS who advocate for the Deaf sports community to ensure that talent pathways are designed with input from those who understand the needs of deaf athletes. This can help create a more supportive and inclusive environment.

– Inclusion of Deaf Representatives in Decision-Making: Deaf athletes are often paid-up members of NGBs or affiliated to them via their national Deaf sport NGB. Senior staff/volunteers and programme directors within mainstream NGB’s must ensure that deaf individuals are included in the decision-making processes related to talent identification and development. Their perspectives are crucial in creating policies and practices that are truly inclusive.

Conclusion: Moving Towards True Inclusion

Diane Modahl’s call for a more inclusive talent identification process is an important step, but it must go further to address the specific needs of deaf young people. Without deliberate actions to remove communication barriers, provide specialized support, and create an environment where deaf athletes can thrive, we risk continuing to leave these talented individuals behind.

By implementing the strategies outlined above, sports organizations can ensure that their talent pathways are not only inclusive in theory but also in practice, allowing deaf young people to participate fully and reach their potential. In doing so, we can create a talent identification system that truly reflects the diversity of abilities within our society.