3 Ways Sports Teams Can Reach Out To Deaf Fans In New Jersey

NEW JERSEY — New Jersey residents who are deaf or hard of hearing deserve to be able to cheer on their favorite team along with their fellow Garden Staters, a die-hard sports fan says.

Gary Noll recently reached out to Patch with a series of recommendations for how to improve accessibility at stadiums and arenas in the New Jersey-New York area – including Citi Field, the home of his beloved New York Mets.

Noll, who was born deaf and grew up in a deaf household, received a 2019 New Jersey State Governor’s Jefferson Award for Public Service and 2017 New Jersey Association of the Deaf unsung hero award for his advocacy on behalf of sports accessibility, awareness, diversity and inclusion.

CAPTIONING

Noll is a huge advocate for closed/live captions that capture the dialogue from announcers and broadcasters. It’s a simple move that could make thousands of people feel much more welcome, he says.

“Teams should make sure they have live captions on four ribbon or scoreboards in the corner or main video boards at sporting events, but make sure it is made more visible, so deaf fans can read it better from their seats,” Noll told Patch.

“Most sports venues have two boards, which means it’s best for deaf fans to get seats that are nearby,” he continued.

If they can’t see the boards, most stadiums have mobile captioning through devices. But it can be hard to watch the captions and follow the action at the same time, Noll added.

The need for captioning doesn’t stop with the game itself, Noll said. It’s also a big help when fans hit the concession stands, too.

• See related article: NJ Advocate Offers 'Bravo' For Captions At Red Bull Arena

SIGN LANGUAGE

Another way that stadiums can reach out to fans who can't hear is to boost their use of American Sign Language (ASL), Noll says. This includes ASL during the national anthem, group performances, public announcements and other hosting duties.

ASL signers can be posted in seating sections throughout the stadium, as well as on the main video board, he said.

“Sports teams should make sure they hire deaf employees and interns, who can teach other staff members to learn ASL,” Noll urged. These valuable employees can also help to address concerns from fans on game day.

Noll – who has previously attended NJ/NY Gotham FC games at Red Bull Arena in Harrison – said it’s important to make sure the use of sign language and closed captioning is consistent for both women’s and men’s sports.

Eventually, Noll would like to see ASL signers at the highest levels of competition: the World Series, the NBA finals, the WNBA finals and more.

• See related article: Deaf NJ Sports Fan Has High Praise For 2 Local Arenas (Op-Ed)

MORE VISIBILITY

Noll said that sports teams should try to make accessibility and awareness part of their publicity efforts. This includes representation at public events, as well as special recognition such as deaf awareness and all-abilities nights, which should donate funds from ticket sales to a local nonprofit or community group.

It would also be great to see more closed captions and ASL use on teams’ social media platforms, he added.

Some teams have already been taking up the call, Noll said. For example, in 2023, the New Jersey Devils will hold an ASL group event on March 12, and the New York Islanders plan to hold a deaf awareness night on Feb. 24.

Noll noted that future New York Rangers and New York Knicks awareness events are under consideration, and ASL groups or deaf awareness events are also a possibility at New York Mets’ Citi Field.

• See related article: Popular Sign Language Classes At NJ Library Inspire Community
• See related article: 5 Tips For NJ Employers Who Want To Hire People With Disabilities

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