Fair starts for all: exploring multisensory reaction times in Deaf and hearing populations to develop a novel athletics standardised starting system

In D/deaf sport, there is no standardised starting system that assures full
parity between D/deaf and hearing athletes. When competing alongside
hearing athletes, D/deaf athletes typically use variable starting systems.
Whilst methods to increase D/deaf inclusion such as lights or vibrating
armbands exist, the opportunities for fast reaction times (RT) – a critical
part of a fast start in the 100m sprint – are not equitable. This inequity
towards D/deaf athletes results in marginalisation and inaccessible sporting
pathways. Technically, D/deaf athletes can compete at the Olympics, but it
is uncommon for a D/deaf athlete to reach elite “mainstream” athletics which can be attributed to the lack of a fair starting system. To inform the
development of a standardised starting system, studies investigating RT
differences in auditory, visual, tactile, and bimodal stimuli across D/deaf
and hearing populations were conducted. Thirty-nine participants (D/deaf
n = 17; hearing n = 22) completed a rapid arm movement towards a target
upon stimulus presentation on a manipulandum to measure their RT.
Results showed significant main effects for group and stimulus modality,
and a significant group × stimulus modality interaction (p < .001). Breakdown of this interaction revealed significant group RT differences for all
modalities except the visual-tactile stimuli. These findings not only
emphasize the need to develop a starting system that promotes equality
between populations but also highlights current sensory inequities on the
starting line. Present findings advocate a visual-tactile system since neither
group has a sensory RT advantage on the start line. This provides sound
evidence and direction to inform the development of a standardised starting
system that will increase equality, opportunity, and access for D/deaf
athletes alongside their hearing counterparts. Funding source: Economic
and Social Research Council UK, Bangor University.