Communications tips - For tournament organisers

• Spectators as well as players may be deaf, and PA systems are an ineffective means of communication with this group.
• Match schedules should be continuously updated & available for inspection at a convenient location, and preferably also online - especially for larger events.
• Scoreboard are good way of communicating scores to players and spectators.  Best practice is electronic scoreboards operated by officials, showing point and game scores, are best practice.
• Have a clear communication strategy to cover major changes to scheduling due to adverse weather, promotion of social events, trophy presentations, etc.
• If someone in the tournament box undertakes to call a player for their match via SMS rather than the PA system, if the staff are changed then incoming staff need to be informed that they will need to send an SMS.
• Consider assigning a "buddy" to players who have reported for their match, but whom face an extended wait (more than say 30 minutes) until their match is called.  It is unreasonable to expect deaf tennis players to spend all their time time camped next to the tournament box if their hearing counterparts are able to walk around and watch matches in progress while waiting for their match call over the PA system.