In 2006 the National Deaf Children’s Society (NDCS) formed a partnership with the Football Association to create the Deaf Friendly FC project to ensure that Charter Standard clubs are ‘deaf friendly’ and committed to creating equal playing and coaching opportunities for deaf people. It is estimated that one in seven people in the UK have some form of permanent deafness and over 35,000 of these are children aged 16 or under. Unlike other impairments, deaf players do not require any adaptations from the mainstream game to be able to play and therefore the inclusion of these players is easier that you may think.
All clubs have to do to show their commitment to the project is to sign the NDCS’s Deaf Friendly Football Club Registration Form (see Related Documents opposite) and agree to include and support deaf children within their existing teams, coaching sessions and other activities. In return, the NDCS will support these clubs through resources such as DVD’s, information booklets and posters.
In addition, all clubs returning the registration form will receive a free place on an FA Coaching Deaf Footballers course which will be held in June 2012.
The Coaching Deaf Footballers course is designed to give coaches a basic awareness of deafness as well as communication tips and advice. The course will also provide coaches and teacher’s with ideas and practices for the inclusion of deaf players in football sessions within mainstream or impairment specific sessions and will provide an introduction to the organisation and delivery of safe and enjoyable coaching sessions for deaf players. As deaf footballers are just as able as their hearing peers, there is no need for coaches to change their coaching sessions, merely the way they communicate their ideas and instructions.
How can my club get involved in the project?
Sign the Registration Form! - Download and complete the registration form opposite and return it to Thomas Lyons, Football Development Officer at the NDCS: The National Deaf Children's Society, 15 Dufferin Street, London EC1Y 8UR or email Thomas.lyons@ndcs.org.uk.
Contact the East Riding County FA - Once you have registered notify the East Riding County FA so that your details can be added to our website and you can access the Coaching Deaf Footballers Course: Gemma Thomas - 01482 221158/07920 047705 or gemma.thomas@eastridingfa.com
For more information about Deaf Friendly Football Clubs visit the NDCS website or contact Thomas Lyons at the National Deaf Childrens Society on 020 7014 1112 (Direct line - voice)/02074908656 (Switchboard - voice and text) or Thomas.lyons@ndcs.org.uk. In addition, further details can be found by downloading the documents opposite.