12-18 March – British Deaf Association Sign Language Week
Sign Language Week is about raising awareness and encouraging more people to learn the basics of sign language and break down barriers to communication with hard of hearing and deaf people.
In London, 61% of people with a hearing impairment are inactive, meaning that they take part in less than 30 minutes of physical activity each week. As outlined in last Year’s strategic plan of action, An Active Inclusive Capital understanding and acting on the barriers that deaf and disabled people face in leading physically active lives is a vital component in helping to make London the most physically active city in the world. For Sign Language Week we have chosen to highlight the clear and specific challenges faced by people with hearing impairments in relation to physical activity.
London Sport Disability Programme Manager, Alex Gibbons said: “We often talk about how roughly half as many deaf and disabled Londoners are regularly active compared to the capital’s non-disabled population. However, as these stats show, there is further inequality across different impairment groups, with deaf people the least active.
“London Sport is working closely with UK Deaf Sport to engage the deaf community and understand the barriers causing this discrepancy, as well as working collaboratively and put in place effective solutions.”
To find out more about our ambitions for supporting more deaf and disabled people get active in the capital in our strategic plan of action, An Active Inclusive Capital.
