The FA believes that deafness should not stop people playing football which is why we are backing the National Deaf Friendly Football Club Project. The project aims to ensure there are no barriers to stop deaf people from playing football for mainstream football clubs and fulfilling their sporting potential.
Football Clubs are being encouraged as part of fulfilling their charter standard club requirements to become more inclusive for the whole community by signing up to the Deaf Friendly Football Pledge.
The pledge requires the following commitments:
To ensure that the whole club is deaf friendly.
The club must have the ability to adapt training and playing situations to ensure deaf footballers enjoy full access
• Ensure club officials undertake training opportunities to ensure they are deaf aware
• Make every effort to ensure players are also deaf aware
• Club policies including Child Protection, Equal Opportunities and Health and Safety should recognise and reflect the needs of deaf footballers and deaf club officials
• Establish a named Deaf Friendly club contact who has up to date email addresses, fax numbers and mobile phone numbers (for text messages) available for deaf footballers
To promote effective communication
• Understand different communication options for deaf people
• Ensure that all relevant club officials and coaches receive training in communicating effectively with deaf footballers
• Be aware of the various strategies which promote good communication
• Relevant club officials and coaches to undertake basic sign language training
To ensure that the club and officials recognise the abilities of all deaf footballers and develop their game to help them reach their full potential
• Have consistently high expectations of deaf footballers’ performance, whatever their ability
• Have an understanding of how to support a deaf footballer and meet their needs whilst involved in club activities
• Recognise deaf footballers as individuals
• Understand the player pathways open to deaf footballers
• Value their contribution to the club and their individual teams
To create equal playing and social opportunities for deaf footballers
• Deaf footballers to be fully included in match, training and social situations
• Ensure deaf players develop their confidence and positive self-esteem
• Ensure they conform to the same standards of discipline and behaviour as the rest of the their team.
For information on signing up to this worthy scheme please visit http://www.ndcs.org.uk/whats_on/deaf_friendly_football/what_is_this_project/the_pledge.html