Sign parkrun briefings to make community events accessible'

Amanda Cooper, a York-based sign language volunteer, travels to parkruns across the UK to ensure deaf participants receive the same safety briefings as everyone else. She signs during first-timer orientations and the main safety briefing to convey hazard warnings and any course changes. Parkrun operates free weekly 5k runs at more than 900 locations, with over 250 events last month featuring sign language support, according to a spokesperson. Deaf runners can miss marshal instructions or hazard warnings, which can turn a positive Saturday morning into an anxious experience. Cooper says she has volunteered about 40 times to date, reflecting a broader push for deaf inclusion. UK Deaf Sport notes that one in six people has some degree of hearing loss, and stigma often delays acknowledgment. Cooper, who has gradually lost hearing since her twenties and uses hearing aids, says devices help but do not restore full hearing. Her experiences led her to found Deaf Advocacy and Support York to help North Yorkshire residents access services that rely on spoken communication. Parkrun says it is taking meaningful steps to remove participation barriers, while advocates like Philippa Wynne say sign language support dramatically improves confidence and wellbeing for deaf participants.