engleski

The Specific Factors of Sports Participation by the Deaf in the Republic of Croatia

The aim of this study was to determine, for the first time, specific, non-sporting factors which affect participation of top elite Croatian deaf athletes in the sport, and to collect information about their family hearing status, the use of hearing aids, difficulties and ways of communication and their educational structure. The research sample included a total of 31 top athletes (20 male and 11 female athletes) from altogether seven sports, which is 58.5% of the entire Croatian elite deaf athlete's population. For the purpose of this investigation, a questionnaire on the participation of top deaf athletes in the sport was used (Kurkova, Valkova, & Scheetz, 2011). Research results of family hearing status show that most top deaf athletes in the Republic of Croatia have hearing parents as well as hearing siblings, which is consistent with other research (Gallaudet Research Institute, 2006 ; Kurkova et al., 2011). Given the high frequency of hearing aids use, most deaf athletes rely on the ability to communicate using total communication, or the combined use of sign language, spoken speech, lip reading the speech from the face and lips and written text. Little tendency to use sign language as their primary mode of communication probably stems from the fact that it has only recently become an officially recognized language in the Republic of Croatia and is still not used in schools. Deaf athletes believe that the hearing people mostly do not have enough information about the communication modes of deaf people and the specifics of their community and that it what causes problems in mutually communication. The research results of education research reveal a slight difference in preschool education, i.e. in attending preschool for deaf and regular preschool, while the majority of deaf athletes attended mainstream primary and secondary schools. Inclusion of athletes who have a hearing impairment in Deaf Sport is extremely important since Deaf Sport is still not sufficiently recognized in the general population and in the mainstream education system, therefore, presented information is useful especially in creating policy-guidance to the Deaf Sport system.

communication difficulties ; family ; education ; hearing aid ; Deaf Sport

nije evidentirano