Coaching Deaf and Hard of Hearing People

Think about a time when you changed jobs, met new people in a friendship group or attended a new sporting activity. How did it feel?

Attending a new session, coaching environment, and meeting new people can be daunting for everyone. It can be even more challenging for a person with a disability.

As coaches, we often talk about meeting participants where they’re at. This is especially important for a deaf or hard of hearing (DHH) participant. 

This resource contains a few ideas to help you ensure that they have a great first session and that you’re able to meet their needs. 

Setting up for success (for you and the participant)

• Set the scene for the individual to feel included and valued at the session, and that you want them to engage.
• When you meet them for the first time, as well as finding out their name, ask if you can talk about their deafness and the communication modes they would like to use. 
• Share the reason you should be aware and explain why you need to know. 
• Have an open discussion about the challenges they face and how you can assist during the sessions, making it a more positive experience. 
• Remember to listen and pay attention. It’s impossible to predict the problems they may face unless you share the same disability, and it’s critical not to minimise their disability with a small comparison of your own.
• Ask the participant where they prefer to stand to be able to hear or follow what is going on and suggest that it may be easier for them to stand near you when you are sharing information, having conversations, and providing instructions. Allow them to make the decision they feel most comfortable with. Asking someone to stand at the front each time is not a pleasant experience for anyone. 
• Consider how you may need to adapt your current practices to ensure that the experience is good for everyone.
• Remember that empathy, not sympathy, is required. 

Case study

A Rugby League coach shares his experiences of working with a deaf player. At the session, during team huddles and introducing activities I noticed two players at the back. They were always nattering. 

Over the next few sessions, I noticed that ‘Robin’ was always at the back of activities and stepped back to watch others. During a water break, I asked his friend what the chat was about, and he calmly stated, ‘oh Robin is deaf, so I explain what you are saying and make sure he understands’ adding, ‘I have always done it at school and most people are used to it now’. 

I was mortified. How did I miss this, nobody had told me, it wasn’t on the medical forms, and he has a headguard for playing. I loitered at lunchtime and as Robin took off his headguard I noticed his long hair and watched him quietly put in his hearing aids.

I took the opportunity to speak to Robin. Whilst feeling very uncomfortable, I explained that I had seen what happened during the sessions and that Simon explained how they work together to ensure that Robin understands the instructions. 

He was so cool, said it was okay and that he didn’t like making a big deal about it, as it just drew attention to him. We agreed on a few things that he thought would help him. 

After a demonstration or new practice, if Robin were unsure, he would stay behind, and we would go through it again. He would stand at the side, so it was easier to see my face, but he wouldn’t stand at the front, and I made a commitment to keep facing forward when speaking (I looked for Robin more often from that point forward) and stopped talking when doing a physical demonstration. 

It helped my coaching a lot as I began considering whether I needed to bring in the whole group or work with smaller groups.

The biggest thing was that it wasn’t one thing, it was lots of little action nudges and considerations to make the experience better for Robin, and me! The hardest thing was the initial feeling of being uncomfortable during the first conversation.

For example, combine clapping with a double-handed wave to congratulate or praise. When we see something good, the natural reaction is to clap. The Deaf community uses a raised double-handed wave to show the same appreciation, so use both methods for a mixed group.

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