The Paralympic Games are a global celebration of resilience, talent, and self-improvement, where athletes with disabilities, from different backgrounds, compete to be the best athlete in their discipline. However, in 2024, in Paris, as in previous years, one community is notably absent: the deaf community.
This absence raises a legitimate question: why are Deaf and hard-of-hearing people not participating in the Paralympic Games?
A historic distinction
To understand this exclusion, it is essential to delve into the history and structures of the Paralympic movement. The Paralympic Games were born in 1960, in Rome, with the mission of allowing people with physical disabilities to participate in high-level competitions. Disabilities considered include physical, visual, and intellectual impairments. However, hearing impairments have never been included in this definition.
The idea of organizing sports competitions for Deaf individuals dates back to the end of the 19th century. At that time, Deaf individuals were rarely seen in traditional sporting competitions, largely due to communication challenges and social stigma. However, the emergence of “silent games” marked an important turning point.
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Eugène Rubens-Alcais, nicknamed "The deaf Baron de Coubertin" for the creation of the Deaflympics
In 1924, under the leadership of a Frenchman: Eugène Rubens-Alcais, hosted the first international games for Deaf people in Paris. It turned into a pioneering event that would lay the foundations for the Deaflympics. These games were intended to create a space in which deaf athletes could demonstrate their skills without the barriers present in hearing competitions. Although the event was small, it represented a significant step towards inclusion and equality in sport.
These Games have their own structure and have been recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) since 1955. Consequently, the deaf have always had their own international competition, distinct from the Paralympic Games which were created a little less than 40 years after the 1st. “Silent games”.
Different needs and challenges
One argument for this separation is that the needs of Deaf athletes are different from those of Paralympic athletes. Deafness does not require the same adaptations as physical or visual disabilities. For example, in the Deaflympics, visual cues replace sound cues for sports like swimming or athletics.
The Deaflympics are distinguished by their diversity in terms of sports offered. “The deaf athlete is physically able to compete without significant restrictions, except for communication barriers,” explains the International Deaf Sports Committee. In team sports and some individual events, hearing loss can be a limitation. However, these restrictions disappear at the Deaf Games. The sports and their rules are identical to those for able-bodied athletes. There are no no special sports and the only adaptations are to make auditory cues visible. For example, we use strobe lights for start cues.
In the meantime, the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games will, as always, be a moment of great inspiration, while the Deaflympics, which will take place in Tokyo in 2025, will continue to be the scene of the exploits of deaf athletes. The two events, although separate, pursue the same objective: overcoming challenges and breaking barriers.
