When Dylan Heuer was 7 months old, he became deaf from meningitis, and he received a cochlear implant when he was 3. Heuer’s parents learned sign language, and when he played Little League baseball, his dad, Tom, served as his “personal interpreter” at games and practices.
Heuer, now a freelance photographer for the Triple-A Iowa Cubs, the NBA G League’s Iowa Wolves and Drake University, was a bat boy for the Iowa Cubs during the 2006 season. After that season, he moved up to the press box and became a freelance reporter for the team for a few seasons.
Heuer started Iowa Baseball Camp for the Deaf (IBCD) in 2015 because children who are deaf or hard of hearing have difficulty accessing Little League. On Thursday the Iowa Cubs, in partnership with Heuer and IBCD, will celebrate Deaf Culture Night at Principal Park in Des Moines.
“This is an important event for the Deaf community,” Heuer told the Tribune, “because it shows that we are here and we are proud of who we are. It shows that the Deaf community is a living and breathing community that has such a deep and rich culture with a beautiful language, its own traditions and so much more.
“We couldn’t be more thrilled to celebrate our culture with the Iowa Cubs to show that the game of baseball is for everybody, no matter who they are. We can play, we can cheer, we can boo, we can cry, we can love. We just don’t hear, that’s all.”
The Iowa Cubs will wear special jerseys with “Iowa” in American Sign Language across the chest to celebrate Deaf culture and the Deaf community. The jerseys will be auctioned off during the game, with proceeds benefiting IBCD.
IBCD is a weeklong event that provides baseball experiences for children 7-14 who are deaf or hard of hearing. The camp, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit through Iowa Hands & Voices, is free to attend and operates entirely on donations.
This year’s camp began Monday and runs through Friday at Johnston Little League in Johnston, Iowa. The kids will attend Thursday’s Iowa Cubs game, followed by a Principal Park tour and on-field playing experience. They will perform the national anthem and “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” during the seventh-inning stretch in ASL, throw out the first pitch and participate in between-inning promotions. ASL interpreters will be on hand throughout the ballpark.
“I established this camp because children who are deaf or hard of hearing do not always have equal access to baseball,” Heuer said. “Sometimes they don’t play in Little League games because they don’t have an interpreter to help facilitate communication between the teammates and the coaches. The coaches and teammates don’t always know how to communicate baseball concepts with them, so they exclude them.
“At IBCD, all the coaches are aware of the Deaf community. They use ASL or interpreters to teach baseball concepts to them. It is a very relaxing and enjoyable environment. Everybody is there to learn to play, socialize and have fun. They can truly be themselves and play ball without struggling in an environment that does not cater to them.”
Deaf Culture Night is just one way the Iowa Cubs, who also hosted their first sensory-friendly game earlier this season, look to stay connected with the local community.
“It’s important for us as a community entity to try to be as inclusive with every demographic that we possibly can,” said Sam Bernabe, the team’s president and general manager. “We want everybody to feel comfortable with coming to the ballpark. Nine innings of baseball is for everybody.”
Heuer said there are many ways to make baseball and other sports more accessible and inclusive.
“(Teams) should make sure that all their videos on social media, TV and other platforms are captioned,” he said. “During the games, there should be an additional video board that captions the PA announcements. Some MLB stadiums do this already.
“Even the Iowa Cubs have a new addition this year where they show the words in a sing-along on one of their video boards. It’s very accessible and easy to follow along.”
Heuer also suggested teams use picture-in-picture on video boards to show Deaf performers signing the national anthem, “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” or public-address announcements. He recommended teams provide ASL interpreters for games and community events, as well as training to help ballpark employees communicate effectively with Deaf fans.
“One of the most challenging parts of being in the stadium is actually interacting with stadium staff or fans,” Heuer said. “Live captioning, whether at the stadium or at home, can be challenging due to frequent inaccuracies, especially with player names or baseball idioms. I might recognize that ‘Chris Brian’ is actually referring to Kris Bryant, but a more casual Deaf fan might not be aware of these errors.
“Between innings if there’s a PA announcement about something important, the deaf individuals will miss that, too, or be late to the action. This lack of accessibility extends beyond the ballpark to everyday situations like bus stops, airports and doctor’s offices. It can contribute to mental exhaustion and sometimes causes Deaf individuals to skip events due to the lack of inclusivity, which can lead to feelings of isolation.”
“They helped us out with identifying the different components for the room and how to best set up the space to make sure that we are providing a really comfortable environment for guests with sensory sensitivities,” David Cromwell, Cubs executive vice president of operations, said of Kulture City.
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After receiving feedback from Deaf and hard-of-hearing guests, the Cubs also introduced closed captioning late last season — a permanent change at Wrigley, Cromwell said. During games, closed captioning is shown on the LED rhythm boards that run along the upper deck of the ballpark on the first- and third-base sides.
Similar to the Iowa Cubs, the Chicago Cubs will host a Deaf inclusive night on Sept. 19 with interpreters present for player announcements, the national anthem, “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” and more. A special ticket offer includes a T-shirt with “Cubs” written out in ASL and the option to select seats in sections that will have an interpreter.
Proceeds from that event will be donated to various nonprofits that support individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing.
“We just continue to try to progressively add and make Wrigley Field very inclusive,” Cromwell said, “but we want to continue to look for ways and identify opportunities to make it even more inclusive than it already is.”
www.chicagotribune.com
Heuer, now a freelance photographer for the Triple-A Iowa Cubs, the NBA G League’s Iowa Wolves and Drake University, was a bat boy for the Iowa Cubs during the 2006 season. After that season, he moved up to the press box and became a freelance reporter for the team for a few seasons.
Heuer started Iowa Baseball Camp for the Deaf (IBCD) in 2015 because children who are deaf or hard of hearing have difficulty accessing Little League. On Thursday the Iowa Cubs, in partnership with Heuer and IBCD, will celebrate Deaf Culture Night at Principal Park in Des Moines.
“This is an important event for the Deaf community,” Heuer told the Tribune, “because it shows that we are here and we are proud of who we are. It shows that the Deaf community is a living and breathing community that has such a deep and rich culture with a beautiful language, its own traditions and so much more.
“We couldn’t be more thrilled to celebrate our culture with the Iowa Cubs to show that the game of baseball is for everybody, no matter who they are. We can play, we can cheer, we can boo, we can cry, we can love. We just don’t hear, that’s all.”
The Iowa Cubs will wear special jerseys with “Iowa” in American Sign Language across the chest to celebrate Deaf culture and the Deaf community. The jerseys will be auctioned off during the game, with proceeds benefiting IBCD.
IBCD is a weeklong event that provides baseball experiences for children 7-14 who are deaf or hard of hearing. The camp, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit through Iowa Hands & Voices, is free to attend and operates entirely on donations.
This year’s camp began Monday and runs through Friday at Johnston Little League in Johnston, Iowa. The kids will attend Thursday’s Iowa Cubs game, followed by a Principal Park tour and on-field playing experience. They will perform the national anthem and “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” during the seventh-inning stretch in ASL, throw out the first pitch and participate in between-inning promotions. ASL interpreters will be on hand throughout the ballpark.
“I established this camp because children who are deaf or hard of hearing do not always have equal access to baseball,” Heuer said. “Sometimes they don’t play in Little League games because they don’t have an interpreter to help facilitate communication between the teammates and the coaches. The coaches and teammates don’t always know how to communicate baseball concepts with them, so they exclude them.
“At IBCD, all the coaches are aware of the Deaf community. They use ASL or interpreters to teach baseball concepts to them. It is a very relaxing and enjoyable environment. Everybody is there to learn to play, socialize and have fun. They can truly be themselves and play ball without struggling in an environment that does not cater to them.”
Deaf Culture Night is just one way the Iowa Cubs, who also hosted their first sensory-friendly game earlier this season, look to stay connected with the local community.
“It’s important for us as a community entity to try to be as inclusive with every demographic that we possibly can,” said Sam Bernabe, the team’s president and general manager. “We want everybody to feel comfortable with coming to the ballpark. Nine innings of baseball is for everybody.”
Heuer said there are many ways to make baseball and other sports more accessible and inclusive.
“(Teams) should make sure that all their videos on social media, TV and other platforms are captioned,” he said. “During the games, there should be an additional video board that captions the PA announcements. Some MLB stadiums do this already.
“Even the Iowa Cubs have a new addition this year where they show the words in a sing-along on one of their video boards. It’s very accessible and easy to follow along.”
Heuer also suggested teams use picture-in-picture on video boards to show Deaf performers signing the national anthem, “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” or public-address announcements. He recommended teams provide ASL interpreters for games and community events, as well as training to help ballpark employees communicate effectively with Deaf fans.
“One of the most challenging parts of being in the stadium is actually interacting with stadium staff or fans,” Heuer said. “Live captioning, whether at the stadium or at home, can be challenging due to frequent inaccuracies, especially with player names or baseball idioms. I might recognize that ‘Chris Brian’ is actually referring to Kris Bryant, but a more casual Deaf fan might not be aware of these errors.
“Between innings if there’s a PA announcement about something important, the deaf individuals will miss that, too, or be late to the action. This lack of accessibility extends beyond the ballpark to everyday situations like bus stops, airports and doctor’s offices. It can contribute to mental exhaustion and sometimes causes Deaf individuals to skip events due to the lack of inclusivity, which can lead to feelings of isolation.”
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“They helped us out with identifying the different components for the room and how to best set up the space to make sure that we are providing a really comfortable environment for guests with sensory sensitivities,” David Cromwell, Cubs executive vice president of operations, said of Kulture City.
Inside the Dugout: Get the latest news, analysis and more on the Chicago Cubs.
By signing up, you agree to our Terms of Use, Privacy Policy, and to receive emails from Chicago Tribune.
After receiving feedback from Deaf and hard-of-hearing guests, the Cubs also introduced closed captioning late last season — a permanent change at Wrigley, Cromwell said. During games, closed captioning is shown on the LED rhythm boards that run along the upper deck of the ballpark on the first- and third-base sides.
Similar to the Iowa Cubs, the Chicago Cubs will host a Deaf inclusive night on Sept. 19 with interpreters present for player announcements, the national anthem, “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” and more. A special ticket offer includes a T-shirt with “Cubs” written out in ASL and the option to select seats in sections that will have an interpreter.
Proceeds from that event will be donated to various nonprofits that support individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing.
“We just continue to try to progressively add and make Wrigley Field very inclusive,” Cromwell said, “but we want to continue to look for ways and identify opportunities to make it even more inclusive than it already is.”
Iowa Cubs to celebrate Deaf culture at Thursday's game
The Iowa Cubs will wear special jerseys with “Iowa” in American Sign Language across the chest, and kids from Iowa Baseball Camp for the Deaf will perform the national anthem in ASL.
www.chicagotribune.com
