Stuart Harrison: Understanding Audism in Deaf Sport (BSL)

Audism is the belief that hearing and speaking are superior to being deaf and using sign language. It leads to discrimination and systemic barriers that marginalize deaf people in education, employment, and sport. The term was coined by Tom Humphries (1977) and has since been explored in Deaf Studies and Disability Studies.

In sport, audism manifests in coaching structures, team dynamics, funding, communication, and access to opportunities. Many sporting organizations fail to recognize Deaf sport as distinct from disability sport or do not provide adequate accommodations, which limits deaf athletes’ participation and success.

Key Aspects of Audism in Deaf Sport:

Linguistic Discrimination – Favouring spoken language over sign language

For many coaches and team staff verbal communication is the default, leaving deaf athletes struggling to follow instructions in training and competition. The also take the path of least resistance and engage more with non-signers.

Most organisations in the sports economy fail to provide sign language interpreters, assuming that lip-reading or written communication is enough—despite evidence that lip-reading is only about 30-40% effective.

Deaf sports teams and events often receive less media coverage because they do not fit traditional (spoken language-based) broadcasting formats.

Medical Model Bias – Viewing deafness as a “deficiency” that needs fixing

Sports federations inadvertently, out of ignorance, prioritize hearing aids or cochlear implants over sign language and accessible communication strategies, pushing deaf athletes toward a “hearing” approach to sport.

Deaf athletes who do not use hearing technology are overlooked or excluded because coaches and administrators see them as “too difficult to work with.”

In classification systems for disability sports, such as the European Disability Golf Association, deaf athletes are disallowed from competing in their elite class compete because deafness alone does not qualify them for Paralympic categories, reinforcing the idea that the lived-experience of deaf athletes and the Deaflympic classification is less valid.

Institutional Barriers – Lack of access to coaching, funding, and competition pathways

Many national governing bodies do not fund elite Deaf sport at the same level as other disability sports, making it harder for deaf athletes to access high-performance training.

Deaf athletes often face fewer opportunities to compete internationally because Deaf-specific events (like the Deaflympics) receive far less support compared to the Paralympics or mainstream sport.

In some cases, deaf players in mainstream teams are expected to “adapt” rather than teams making accommodations for them. For example, if a referee relies only on a whistle, a deaf athlete misses key signals during a match.

Cultural Erasure – Disregarding Deaf sport as a distinct culture

Deaf sport has its own history, traditions, and rules, yet many sports organizations treat Deaf sport as an afterthought, assuming deaf athletes should just integrate into mainstream teams.
Sporting federations sometimes fail to recognize Deaf sport records and achievements, treating them as secondary to hearing competitions.

Deaf athletes feel pressured to conform to hearing norms rather than being encouraged to celebrate Deaf identity in sport.
Sports federations (Cricket Australia) initially adopting deaf sports teams but over time failing to recognise the strategic significance of their Deaf sport partners (Deaf Cricket Australia) and capitalising on Deaf Gain.

Everyday Prejudice – Patronizing attitudes and lack of inclusion in team culture

Deaf athletes in mixed (hearing and deaf) teams often experience exclusion—for example, being left out of informal team chats or not being fully involved in pre-game strategy discussions.Hearing coaches and teammates sometimes assume deaf athletes need “extra help”, even when they are fully capable of competing at the same level.

There have been reports of derogatory remarks made against deaf players in mixed disability teams, reinforcing the idea that they are not fully accepted.

Audism in sport is not just about access—it’s about respect, equity, and recognition. True inclusion means more than adding an interpreter or letting a deaf player join a hearing team—it requires systemic changes in funding, training, and competition structures. Recognizing Deaf sport as a distinct and equal sporting category is crucial for breaking down audism and allowing deaf athletes to compete and thrive on their own terms.

To read more on the politics and challenges for Deaf sport “Same Spirit Different Team”