HomeNewsUK Deaf Sport announce audiogram partnership with Boots Hearingcare
UK Deaf Sport announce audiogram partnership with Boots Hearingcare
GB Deaf Footballer Macie White and GB Deaf Swimmer Bethany Gamble received their free audiograms today at the launch of UK Deaf Sport’s partnership with Boots Hearingcare. This fantastic new partnership will see Boots Hearingcare offer free audiograms to deaf athletes, allowing them to compete internationally for Great Britain.
To compete fairly in international competitions, all Deaf and Hard of Hearing athletes must have an ICSD (International Committee of Sports for the Deaf) athlete number, proving they have a hearing loss of at least 55dB pure tone average (PTA) in the better ear.
This collaboration reduces one of the many barriers deaf athletes face when aiming to compete on the international stage, as the current lack of government funding for deaf sport means most deaf athletes must pay their own way to compete.
With Macie only recently back from winning a bronze medal in the 2025 Tokyo Deaflympics and Bethany heading off to the European Deaf Youth Games in August, this was the perfect opportunity for them both to get their hearing tests renewed.
“UK Deaf Sport is proud to partner with Boots Hearingcare to provide access to free hearing assessments for our Deaf athletes. These assessments are a vital first step in enabling athletes to achieve international classification and official recognition, opening the door to representing their country on the global stage, including at the Deaflympics. Through this partnership, we are confident our athletes will benefit from high-quality, timely testing delivered in a professional and supportive environment, helping them reach their full potential.” – Chris Ratcliffe, CEO UK Deaf Sport
A smooth process to certification
On average, 50 deaf athletes apply for their ICSD athlete number every year. UK Deaf Sport is the Deaf Federation for the United Kingdom and holds the UK Deaf Athlete Database. As such, they assist with the certification process by checking all audiograms before sending them to the ICSD.
Once the ICSD confirms they are satisfied and issues an athlete number, UK Deaf Sport shares this with the athlete or their sports club and updates the athlete’s details on the UK Deaf Sport Deaf Athlete Database.
Tests can be undertaken at World of Hearing centres in 26 locations nationwide, each with expert audiologists on hand, making it an easy and smooth process for deaf athletes to obtain their certification to compete.
“Boots Hearingcare is delighted to support DeaflympicsGB across Great Britain’s home nations by offering deaf athletes a free hearing assessment. Conducted in our World of Hearing stores the audiogram forms a crucial part of the tightly regulated application process overseen by the International Committee for the Sports for the Deaf to confirm athletes’ eligibility to compete in the elite deaf sport events such as Deaflympics. Colleagues across Boots Hearingcare are excited to provide this service and will follow with keen interest how athletes visiting their stores get on in their respective competitive games. Boots Hearingcare wish all UK contenders the best of luck”. – Karen Shepherd, Director of Hearing Health Care Development
Athletes can find their nearest Boots Hearingcare location and learn more about the process of obtaining their free audiogram here.
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