[A Deaflympian uses a lighting system to start her race. Photo copyright: International Committee of Sports for the Deaf]
We’ve seen Deaf performers and artists taking centre stage at both the Olympic and Paralympic opening ceremonies. But we’ve seen precious few in competition. So I wrote this piece for the Guardian online about Deaf athletes missing out on the Games. Do read it and leave your own thoughts if you can.
On Tuesday I watched Evgenii Shvetcov from Russia win the Men’s 400M T36, narrowly beating the man I was cheering on – Team GB’s Paul Blake – into second place. But any disappointment I felt suddenly disappeared when, seconds after crossing the finish line, Shvetcov looked into the TV camera and used sign language to communicate a message to people watching back home.
This may seem disloyal to these shores, but if I’d known Shvetcov was deaf, I’d have been cheering him on from the start. There are deaf athletes who have competed in the Olympics and Paralympics at London 2012, but they’re few and far between. Another separate disability is required for them to compete in the Paralympics because, remarkably, there is no category for deaf athletes.
Read the full article here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/sep/06/paralympic-games-deaf-athletes
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Robert Mandara
September 6, 2012
The big problem is that there would never be a level playing field for all deaf athletes – some of us are deafer than others. At what level of hearing loss would someone be deaf enough to compete? Could this be measured? Would partially deaf athletes have to lie and pretend that their hearing is worse than it is? If you insist that the athlete must communicate with sign language then you’d rule out all of the profoundly deaf people who choose to use hearing aids and speech.
Being deaf doesn’t stop us running, jumping, swimming, cycling etc. The only thing that inhibits us is the difficulties of communication. We can’t hear the starting gun. We can’t hear when a false start is declared. We can’t hear our team mates in team events. We can’t hear the trainers. We can’t hear what the Duchess is saying as she hands us our medals. But actually, given the support that we need, a deaf athlete can achieve anything in sport that a hearing one can.
Anoynmous
September 6, 2012
Team sports are one thing that would be really hard to measure- but for track and field events there is no reason deaf people can’t compete with the hearing athelites. I think everyone should use a universal visual system for starts which would solve the problem
Carpe Diem
September 7, 2012
Here is a quote from the Paralympics FAQ’s
“Why are deaf athletes excluded?
ParalympicsGB is non-discriminatory and applauds all disabled sportsmen and women who achieve on the world stage. Sportsmen and women who are deaf and their representative federations were part of Paralympic movement originally but decided to move away and form their own associations and create their own Games. That is why they are not members of the BPA and are not funded in the same way as other NGBs. Athletes with a hearing impairment do compete in the Paralympic Games when the hearing loss is one of their impairments.”
Deaf people CAN and HAVE participated, and WILL. Appaluse those….
There is no use in “stomping your feet” a little and please remember that deaf people choose to have their own games ‘Deaflympics’ therefore this is why they are not funded in the same way as paralympians are.
Editor
September 7, 2012
Well, they’re just not funded – I guess that’s the main problem deaf athletes are facing. Meanwhile you have billions spent on facilties and millions spent training athletes to win medals. And deaf athletes are outside it. Apologies if thinking something’s gone wrong somewhere along the line equates to ‘stomping’ my feet (!)
Carpe Diem
September 7, 2012
I wasn’t directing that expression at you… I have read many other comments elsewhere and that’s where the expression comes into force. 🙂
They are not funded because they decided to seperate themselves from the Paralympics as they have said above, in my quote. That quote is from their website.
When the Paralympics first started, quite a few of my friends were saying ‘why are there no deaf athletes?’ etc….. I had to remind them that there are deaf athletes taking part and those who have done in the past. There are even those who were of olympic standards and were asked to participate there. I know of several british deaf sportpeople who were asked to participate in the paralympics yet they decided it was not for them. That is fine, it’s their choice. But, there are those who are presently participating in the paralympics.
There is two lots of groups saying ‘why are there no deaf athletes?’ and those who are saying ‘why is deaf gb team is not funded?’
The quote from the paralympic FAQ’s page explains it all….. Participate and you’ll get funding.
Carpe Diem
September 9, 2012
Deaf people are sometimes stuck between a rock and a hard place. Sometimes, not of their own doing.
Regarding the lack of paralympic funding or lack of deaf participants – the younger deaf sports generation needs to be told why this is so in the first place as the decision to seperate from the paralympics and have their own games, did not involve them. Let them have their choice. They do not need to start protesting etc.
The older generation, just needs to be reminded that their decision to separate caused their funding to cease. Times move on, so should attitudes.
It would be fantastic to participate in the paralympics AND have their own deaflympics games. What’s wrong with that?
One would be a better sportsperson, in all senses.
There are foreign paralympic participants from third world countries who have had no or very little funding and they have been driven to raise their own funding by doing sky diving jumps etc just so they can participate in the Paralympics. They are not complacent at all.
It’s such a shame to see that people forget how good their life is, how free everything is. How available money and equipment is. That one’s decisions have consequences. They / we have all these things yet certain people still want more money to be handed over.
There is NO EXCUSE not to participate in the Paralympics when one can / wants to do so – they have the means to treat one as an equal, as long as one wants to be treated so
Asher
September 10, 2012
RE Carpe Diem’s comments
Actually, International Committee of Sport for the Deaf who organise Deaflympics wanted to join IOC (International Olympic Committee, the guys who organise Olympics/Paralympics) and to Paralympics to have a deaf category where deaf athletes can compete in but the discussion by both parties broke down due to the logicistal issues of funding the deaf athletes requirements (interpreters,starting lights etc) and the complications of introducing new classification in Paralympics.
Other attempt was made for London 2012 Paralympics to feature deaf events was rejected. So, despite the older generation deciding to alienate themselves from Paralympics and having their own Deaflympics, efforts was made to re-join Paralympics. Therefore, ruining young deaf competitors’ dreams to compete in Olympics/Paralympics by cutting their funding even if their associations had made an effort to merge is harsh.
Sadly, for me even that I have attended both Olympics and Paralympics events and enjoyed them immensely as well admiring the competitors’s determination and spirit and to witness Great Britain uniting in pride is breathtaking yet at back of my mind, I can’t help thinking this is a wasted opportunity for deaf people to get themselves in the public consciousness.
IOC and ICSPD now need to go through proper negotiations with no time limit to bring deaf competitors in both OIympics and Paralympics by offering them same funding and opportunities as their able bodied counterparts. Rio may be too soon but surely 2020 Olympics/Paralympics is possible.
There are several blogs which explore these issues which are worth a read
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-19477447
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/ouch/2012/09/what_are_the_deaflympics.html
deaflinguist
September 11, 2012
I’ve had two questions of late from hearing people: either why D/deaf people don’t compete in the Paralympics, or whether it is possible to use modern technology to modify starting arrangements in the Olympics for D/deaf people. When people ask “How?” you’re half way towards a solution – a positive question which I was pleased to hear. I feel more ambiguous about the other question.
The integration of BSL into the opening ceremony was a splendid example of inclusivity which drew attention to D/deaf people on a world stage, so I wished that this had also been reflected in the composition of the Paralympics squads.
That said, I do wonder whether, in future, we will see a convergence to some extent between the two movements. We saw this in the diversity of those who carried the torch and in the Olympic opening ceremony. The spirit is there in the associated events. Let’s build on that in the Games themselves.
The obvious example is Oscar Pistorius blazing a trail by competing in both. Deaf people could also be in the vanguard of this convergence, with the ability to participate in either or both as appropriate, with adjustments. At present there is only the occasional competitor with hearing loss in both. Let’s grow that presence. Adjustments are not possible in all sports, but I can see that, for example, wheelchair-using competitors in the Paralympics could cross over, with appropriate adjustments, into Olympic shooting and archery events.
I think that joining both movements would enable our young D/deaf people to shine in the sporting arena, and increase the pool of talent from which Olympians and Paralympians are drawn. In the end, that’s what it’s all about: nurturing the talent of, and providing opportunities to, the brightest stars of the future on the two biggest sporting stages on the planet. Let’s be part of both, rather than of neither.