What’s one of the world’s fastest-growing international events? The most recent Summer Deaflympics provided competition for more than 4,000 deaf athletes and officials from 77 countries. Along with the Special Olympics and Paralympics, the Deaflympics are sanctioned by the International Olympic Committee, and were the first Games ever held for a group of people with a disability.

Deaf Culture
Part of the reason the Deaflympics attract so many participants is that deaf sports athletes have special communications needs when they are performing and socializing. Hearing-impaired participants often cannot respond to starting guns, the frantic whistling of referees, or verbal commands from a bullhorn or microphone. That’s why the Deaflympics are the only Games where the officials have the same disability as the athletes.

The Deaflympics function as a social gathering as much as a competitive one. Deaf athletes cannot easily strike up a conversation with hearing athletes to compare training schedules or simply chat. The friendships they form at the Deaflympics can last for decades and provide a rare sense of inclusion. A recent phenomenon is the integration of athletes who were educated in schools for the deaf mixing with those who were brought up in mainstream institutions, providing an important bridge between the two deaf cultures.

Deaflympics History
The brainchild of Eugene Rubens-Alcais, the first event was founded in Paris in 1924 as the International Silent Games. While the original sports were all summer events, that changed with the addition of winter sports in 1955. The next Winter Deaflympics will take place in Slovakia in 2011 and Vancouver, Canada in 2015. Athens will host the summer Games in 2013.

Deaf Sports Events in the Deaflympics
An impressive array of events for deaf and hearing-impaired contestants are available, with the majority in the more established Summer Deaflympics competition. Check these out and dream about traveling to the Games one day to compete or officiate, or simply to immerse yourself in the deaf community.

Summer Sports
Athletics                        Orienteering
Badminton                    Shooting
Basketball                      Swimming
Beach Volleyball          Table Tennis
Bowling                         Taekwondo
Road Cycling                Tennis
Football                         Volleyball
Judo                               Freestyle Wrestling
Karate                            Greco-Roman Wrestling
Mountain Biking

Winter Sports
Alpine Skiing                  Ice Hockey
Cross-Country Skiing      Snowboarding   
Curling

For more information about Deaflympics and deaf sports, go to the official website.