Footballer Jamie Clarke’s superpower is scoring goals – lots of them. As captain of the England Deaf Men football team, he scored an incredible six goals in the group stage of the World Deaf Football Championships in Malaysia this September. But, having made it through to the last 16, there was heartbreak when his team lost 1-0 to the USA.
Even though the team didn’t go all the way, Clarke hopes its achievements will inspire young deaf people to do anything they set their minds to. “You have to believe in yourself, and always dream big,” Clarke says, via video call from the tournament. “You can achieve whatever you want to – nothing’s impossible.”
Born profoundly deaf, Clarke grew up in Bretforton, Worcestershire: “I’m the only deaf member of the family – my mum, dad and two sisters are all hearing,” he says. He didn’t start learning British Sign Language (BSL) until he was 17 years old and it made such a difference to his life that he’s now a big advocate. He has been happy of late to notice a lot more hearing people trying to pick up a few signs, something that goes a long way to helping deaf people feel included.
“When I was born, my parents were shocked, and didn’t know what to do,” he says. “While lots of parents send their deaf children to specialist schools, mine were adamant that I could fit into mainstream education. They learned some basic sign language so they could communicate with me, and aged five I had a cochlear implant, which allowed me to hear some sounds and helped me speak more clearly.
‘I’d always dreamed of playing for England, but I assumed it couldn’t happen for me’
“Luckily, we lived in a close-knit community where I made some really good friends, but I still tried to hide my identity. I relied on speaking and lip-reading to communicate, but didn’t want people to know I was deaf. If I didn’t understand someone, my friends would tell them: ‘Oh, Jamie’s deaf,’ and I’d say: ‘No, just ignore them, I’m hearing.’ I was embarrassed, and didn’t want them to think differently of me.”
Clarke’s conflicting feelings about his deaf identity began to change when he received a letter that would alter the course of his life. “I’d always loved football, which I was introduced to by my dad and grandad. It was one of the things that helped me to fit in and gave me confidence – I was the best player out of all the kids, so everyone wanted me to be on their team.
“Eventually, I started playing at county level. Some players tried to distract me from my game by throwing insults at me, but I just carried on scoring goals. For me, that was the best reaction to discrimination – I just pushed it off my shoulders, and carried on.
“Then, when I was 17, I received a letter from the FA, saying they wanted me to try out for the England Deaf Men football team. I’d never heard of deaf football – I’d never even interacted with other deaf people before. But suddenly, I was being asked to try out for the England squad.
“When I arrived at the trials, there were 70 players there, all using BSL. I couldn’t understand them, or communicate, but even so, the players made me feel so welcome. By my third and final trial session, I was looking forward to seeing them again – a group of people who loved football too, and were deaf like me.”
A few months after being selected for the squad, Clarke found himself heading to Greece for the inaugural 2008 World Deaf Football Championships. “I’d always dreamed of playing for England, but I assumed it couldn’t happen for me,” he says. “Being told I’d made the squad and had the chance to represent England was the best news I’ve ever received.”
As he travelled the world playing football, Clarke began picking up BSL – which also marked the beginning of his personal transformation. “Most deaf people learn BSL via courses, but I learned to sign naturally along the way,” he says. “Now, BSL is my language and my identity. I’ve come a long way from the days when I’d pretend to be hearing, and today I’m very proud to be deaf. I got rid of my cochlear implant after I left school, because I preferred the silence.”
Having seen what a difference BSL can make, he’s fully behind Cadbury Fingers’ campaign to encourage more hearing people to learn a bit of sign language. Created in partnership with the National Deaf Children’s Society, the Sign with Fingers hub has a series of short videos showing simple phrases such as “Which team do you support?” and “What a goal!” Football is a great conversation starter, so what better way to make deaf football fans feel included.
“Deaf people want hearing people to make an effort to communicate with us, so I think this campaign is a really positive thing,” says Clarke.
He adds: “As deaf people, we face more challenges than hearing people, but we have to remain positive, ask for support when we need it, and not be embarrassed. Along my journey, a lot of people tried to knock me down, but I succeeded by ignoring them and holding on to my self belief.
‘Football is a great conversation starter,’ says Clarke
“I don’t know where I’d be now without the deaf community – it’s strange to think about what my life would be like. I see things from a completely different perspective, and want to inspire deaf children not to be afraid of their identity.
“Life can be difficult for deaf people,” says Clarke. “There are lots of barriers when it comes to accessibility. For example, a hearing person can pick up the phone and get through to somebody straight away, but we can’t do that. In all other ways, deaf people are no different from hearing people, and I’ve noticed a lot more hearing people trying to learn BSL, which is fantastic.
“I hope that continues, and that hearing people might consider learning some other deaf tips, too – like using gestures or a tap on the shoulder to get our attention, using phone and text notes to communicate, and always using eye contact so we can lip-read more effectively.
“I think awareness is growing all the time – and with campaigns like Cadbury’s, things can only get better. It gives me hope for the future.”
Let’s help more people feel included by learning some British Sign Language. Get started at Sign with Fingers
