Deaf athletes compete in national and international events on a regular basis, and the majority of them train in clubs alongside hearing athletes. People with deafness or substantial hearing loss claim to have a distinct cultural identity and belong to a sociolinguistic group, however the majority do not consider this a handicap. Hearing loss is linked to challenges with balance control, which can impede functioning. Athletes with hearing impairments face unique communication challenges in sports, where quick decision-making and effective coordination are crucial. AR is described as a technique that combines digital and physical information that occurs in real-time utilizing technological equipment. In particular, AR refers to the loading and merging of virtual items such as video, sound, photographs, text, 3D models, and so on into real-world perspectives. Thus, in the context of athletes who have difficulty hearing, Augmented Reality (AR) technology provides a unique solution that increases sign language interpretation, real-time game strategy communication, and referee signaling. Sign language (SL) is the primary mode of communication between hearing-impaired persons and other populations, and it is represented through both manual (body and hand gestures) and non-manual (facial expressions) characteristics. These characteristics are used to generate utterances, which transmit the meaning of words or phrases. This paper investigates the significance of AR in overcoming communication barriers for deaf athletes by combining wearable gadgets, haptic feedback, and visual overlays. By utilizing AR-driven captioning and gesture detection, deaf athletes may get rapid, context-aware information, enhancing engagement and performance.
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SHARMA, P. and Mendonca, L. Leona (2026). AR-Guided Sign Language & Communication in Deaf Sports - A Narrative Review. Journal of Advanced Sport Technology, 10(1), 1-16. doi: 10.22098/jast.2025.17771.1427
MLA
SHARMA, P. , and Mendonca, L. Leona. "AR-Guided Sign Language & Communication in Deaf Sports - A Narrative Review", Journal of Advanced Sport Technology, 10, 1, 2026, 1-16. doi: 10.22098/jast.2025.17771.1427
HARVARD
SHARMA, P., Mendonca, L. Leona (2026). 'AR-Guided Sign Language & Communication in Deaf Sports - A Narrative Review', Journal of Advanced Sport Technology, 10(1), pp. 1-16. doi: 10.22098/jast.2025.17771.1427
CHICAGO
P. SHARMA and L. Leona Mendonca, "AR-Guided Sign Language & Communication in Deaf Sports - A Narrative Review," Journal of Advanced Sport Technology, 10 1 (2026): 1-16, doi: 10.22098/jast.2025.17771.1427
VANCOUVER
SHARMA, P., Mendonca, L. Leona AR-Guided Sign Language & Communication in Deaf Sports - A Narrative Review. Journal of Advanced Sport Technology, 2026; 10(1): 1-16. doi: 10.22098/jast.2025.17771.1427