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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.

Young boy with hearing impairment putting golf ball on tee.

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.

UK Deaf Sport infographic about population of deaf people in the UK and their participation in sport.

View UKDS National Sport Survey findings on their website.
Download Word version of UKDS infographic.

Deaf Awareness Week 2017

UK Deaf Sport is the national charity that supports deaf and hard of hearing people to take part in sport and physical activity.

https://youtu.be/5DSSALP8Pec

To mark Deaf Awareness Week 2017, we will be sharing stories from deaf individuals, groups and organisations about how, why and where they enjoy being active. We’ll also share some simple tips about how we can all make sporting activities more accessible for people with hearing loss. Plus we’ll hear from the DeaflympicsGB team as they prepare to head out to Samsun, Turkey for the 23rd Deaflympics Games this summer.

Join us in celebrating Deaf Awareness Week 2017!

Visit UK Deaf Sport website to find out more and keep up to date with the latest news.

Follow @DeafSport on Twitter and use hashtag #DeafAwarenessWeek.