UK Deaf Sport supports Deaf Awareness Week 2017
Deaf Awareness Week runs from 15-21 May 2017 and the theme this year is ‘Celebration’. Promoted by the UK Council on Deafness, the week long campaign celebrates collaborative work that makes a difference to people who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Did you know that one in six people in the UK are deaf or hard of hearing?
Action on Hearing Loss reports that around 11 million people in the UK have some form of hearing loss, and this number is expected to rise to 15.6 million by 2035.
According to Sport England’s Active People survey (2016), regular participation in sport and physical activity is lowest among the deaf population. Only 10% of adults who are deaf or hard of hearing take part in sport once a week, compared to 40% of non-disabled adults.
In 2015, UK Deaf Sport (UKDS) conducted its first national sport and physical activity survey. The results show there is a clear demand for more accessible opportunities for people with hearing loss. With one in three people expressing an interest to play sport in the future, and eight in ten people saying they would prefer to take part in a mixed environment with deaf and hearing people. The infographic below shows key survey findings from UK Deaf Sport national sport survey, 2015.
View UKDS National Sport Survey findings on their Website.
