Deaf children from across the United Kingdom will have the unique opportunity to play tennis at the National Junior Deaf Tennis Day on Saturday March 23 in Leeds which aims to pave the way to make tennis accessible to deaf children.
The free event at John Charles Centre for Sport will be held by the National Deaf Children's Society (NDCS), supported by the Tennis Foundation to offer deaf children, aged 8 to 16, the chance to hone their tennis skills in a deaf-friendly environment.
This is part part of the NDCS's project to encourage sport and leisure providers to include deaf children in their activities.
A brand new British Sign Language (BSL) for Tennis web page has also been created to support clubs and coaches communicate with deaf participants, including BSL users.
Deaf children and young people are often excluded from sports, because sport clubs and organisations simply don't know how to support children with hearing loss and this online resource is hoped to encourage tennis clubs to open up to deaf children.
The Tennis Foundation is also supporting tennis venues to provide an accessible and inclusive environment and is running a series of Disability Awareness Courses to coaches across the country.
Hayley Jarvis, Inclusive Activities Manager said: "Giving deaf children the chance to take part in any form of sport helps them develop their self-esteem, learn a new skill and explore the world around them. Unfortunately, too often deaf children find it too difficult to enjoy sport – a barrier that can be easily overcome.
"Deafness shouldn't stop children from playing tennis and with the right support, deaf children can achieve as much as other children.
"It's fantastic that the Tennis Foundation has committed to helping venues to include deaf children in their activities, breaking down barriers for many deaf children across the country. We hope many more organisations will now follow suit."
"Deaf tennis has a long, successful history in British tennis and we are growing the sport in a number of ways from providing opportunities for children and beginners to have their first taste of the sport to supporting the country's best elite deaf players," added Daniel Absolon, The Tennis Foundation's Disability Development Manager.
"The best thing about tennis is that it's adaptable for any particular requirement so deaf children can have fun playing against other deaf players, and alongside or against non-disabled friends and family."
There are more than 45,000 deaf children in the UK. NDCS is the leading charity dedicated to removing barriers to the achievement of deaf children and young people.
To find out about becoming deaf-friendly or to access activities in your area contact NDCS at me2@ndcs.org.uk or call our helpline on 0808 800 8880 or visit their website here (link opens in new window).