Reference to the England Cricket Board resource – PDF
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Deaf Cricket – Joint communication from ECB, ECAD and UK Deaf Sport
As part of Deaf Awareness week, we wanted your club to be aware of some facts and opportunities around Deafness and Hearing Loss:
Facts:
- There is over 850,000 hearing impaired people in England (Sport England, Mapping Disability: The Facts, 2016)
- There is over 2000+ hearing impaired and deaf cricketers across England and Wales who play open Cricket (NCPS)
- 300 of these cricketers also choose to play deaf specific cricket (ECAD)
Deaf cricketers can struggle with communication both on and off the pitch. The key is to create the right communication channels, maintaining dialogue and being flexible.
Top tips on engaging deaf and hard of hearing people in cricket:
- Talk slowly to people’s face and don’t turn your back when giving out instructions. If they lip-read, make sure your lips are easy to see and don’t mumble.
- Use visual aids to display information visually.
- It can help if drills or techniques are demonstrated first so participants are visually aware of what they are working on.
- Check for understanding – if they don’t understand, try re-phrasing the instruction/information before moving on.
- Invite the deaf participant to position themselves in the group which best supports them and makes them feel most comfortable.
Participation opportunities
England Cricket Association for the Deaf (ECAD) oversee the development of Deaf Cricket. ECAD are working with the ECB, UKDS and EFDS to improve the cricketing experience for deaf and hearing impaired cricketers.
Deaf players can also play in deaf specific cricket which can offer additional opportunities to meet other deaf people. If you’re interested in deaf specific cricket please contact ECAD. For more information visit ECAD website.
England Deaf Cricket Team
At the top of the pathway, there is an England Deaf Cricket Team run by the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB). There are criteria for eligibility when inviting players to attend training sessions and international tournaments. To represent England players must have an average hearing loss of at least 55 decibels in their better ear.
For information on deaf cricket, participation opportunities and the England Deaf Cricket Team please contact the England Cricket Association for the Deaf (ECAD) visit ECAD website.
