International Advocacy: Soccer in Spain
By Laura Gramer, Washington State H&V
After attending a soccer camp in the summer of 2023, both of my boys were invited to attend a nine day soccer camp in Barcelona, Spain. The camp included the dorm with chaperones and transportation for training. Brett (12) and Lucas (10) both are involved in club soccer and this was an exciting opportunity for both of them. As a parent, I was concerned about access since both boys have different communication needs and both need access to communication. My youngest primarily communicates through sign while my oldest can code switch between spoken English and ASL and he can lip read and hear spoken English.
When my husband and I decided to send the boys to the soccer camp, I contacted the soccer program to start the conversation about accommodations around communication. I was aware that Europe did not have laws similar to United States’ American with Disabilities Act. The program had an office in the states and in Barcelona. As expected, they initially declined to start a conversation and said they do not offer accommodations.
I started to ask around in the Deaf/hard of hearing (DHH) and the disability communities. I also researched the group, FC Barcelona. I saw on the website that they recently collaborated with a deaf organization in Barcelona to make the stadium and soccer game more accessible for DHH guests. I reached out to the advocacy organization and they connected me to their contact at FC Barcelona and a local interpreting agency.
I discussed the communication issue with the recommended person and the local interpreter agency and then I reached out to the soccer program again. Many phone calls through video relay service and emails between the soccer camp program directors took place. I appealed to the soccer camp directors that they need to address communication access for my sons.
The interpreting agency let me know they supported what I was trying to do for my sons. They were upfront, however, stating that they only had Spanish and Catalan Sign Language interpreters. My husband and I decided that would be acceptable because that would mean that my sons would be exposed to other languages. Hearing kids would be exposed to hearing spoken English, Spanish, and Catalan which meant my sons would also be exposed to Spanish and Catalan Sign Language. The interpreting agency sent an app for my phone with Catalan sign language used in Barcelona.
A few days before we were scheduled to fly out, the soccer camp agreed to provide four interpreting sessions. As a parent, I wanted more but I was glad the soccer camp agreed to provide the interpreters for some of their planned activities. When my husband and I attended the opening meeting with our sons, we felt better. The interpreter knew some international sign and spoken English. The interpreter taught my sons some signs before the meeting to help connect ASL/English signs to Spanish signs. My youngest was very motivated to learn Spanish and Catalan sign languages.
Tips for the Chaperones and Coaches
We checked in with the chaperones early on to help with communication in the dorms and practice. For example, the chaperones used paper to identify each dorm room for which kids and to help my youngest to connect names to his dormmates. The coaches used an iPad with a pen to show different formation of play which has visual benefits for all kids.
After the trip, Brett, our oldest, said he was able to understand people who spoke English even when their first language was Spanish. “I was lucky to have a teammate from my soccer team with me to help interpret if I missed something. We did have interpreters but they signed Spanish or Catalan sign, which my brother was excited about but that wasn’t helpful for me. When we were on a walking tour around the city, we had a guide that gave everyone this box that sort of looked like the old hearing aids with wires that connect to hearing aids, but more modern. We used this when he spoke, and the kids could hear him more loudly like an FM/DM system, I couldn’t use it since I already have hearing aids. I appreciated that my mom talked to the soccer camp about communication. Best of all, they did not use me as an interpreter for my younger brother and we stayed with our own age cohort!!”
Lucas said, “I enjoyed my time in Barcelona and I liked watching FC Barcelona play. My sign language interpreter signed in Spanish and in Catalan Sign Language! I really liked learning new words! It helped that my coach used an iPad to draw what position he wanted me to play and where to move. He also used gestures to signal where he wanted me to go. My teammates were from all over the United States. We shared phones to watch YouTube together.”
Honestly, we felt a lot of frustration in our perseverance to push the conversation forward. If we want to change the world, we need to create a space for uncomfortable discussions to push the world’s people to do their share to be inclusive. My sons had the right to participate fully, and their teammates had things to learn from them, also. It was worth it! ~
H&V Communicator – Fall 2024