By: Arezo Ahmadi
Introduction
It’s an exciting year for sports enthusiasts around the world. After delays, limited events, and attendance due to the pandemic, the Olympics and Paralympics are in full force this year! Sports have always been central to my family. What many find interesting about my family is that we are athletes, and, specifically, we have a Deaflympian in the family. My dad was a young water polo athlete in the Deaflympics. When I tell people about the Deaflympics, many are curious to know the differences between the Paralympics, Deaflympics, and the Olympics. Some of the questions I get are centered around why Deaf people don’t just participate in the Paralympics or the Olympics. With the 2024 Games in full force, I thought I’d take the time to interview my dad to answer these frequently asked questions and share some of his experiences!
Background & History
But first, I wanted to take some time to explain a little bit about the Deaflympics and compare them with the Paralympic and Olympic Games. The Deaflympic Games are currently organized by the International Committee of the Sports for the Deaf (ICSD), and the first-ever event was hosted by Paris in 1924. While the Olympic and Paralympic Games are hosted in parallel every 2 years, the Deaflympics are a year after (and also hosted every 4 years). They were known in 1924 as “The Silent Games,” being the first sporting event of its kind for people with disabilities. During a time when deafness was seen as a limitation and a culture that society wanted to erase, these Games were an opportunity to change the stereotypes about Deaf people and their culture. While Deaf people were seen as inferior to their hearing counterparts in society, the Games had begun a movement towards eliminating such views and instead proving that Deaf people can do anything and are equal to their hearing counterparts. In fact, the ICSD was created after the first Deaflympics by Deaf athletic leaders, setting the current policy that only Deaf people can serve on the ICSD board. Through this standard, the ICSD board is able to maintain and preserve Deaf culture within their organization by not having any hearing members.
Deaf Inclusion
Now, you might be wondering about a question I posed earlier about why Deaf people don’t participate in the Paralympic Games. That’s a great question! While the first Paralympic Games were in 1960 (however, the Stoke Mandeville Games, the Paralympics’ predecessor started in 1948), more than 30 years after the first Deaflympics Games, there’s a more specific reason for the separation and it’s an ongoing point of discussion.
Many within the Deaf community view themselves as otherwise able-bodied, which would pose an unfair advantage if they were to compete in the Paralympics. In addition, individuals who classify themselves as “capital D Deaf” are those who embrace Deaf culture, sign language, and being a part of the Deaf community–typically, Deaf individuals do not see their deafness as a disability, but rather as a strength. This is opposed to “lowercase d deaf” who are people who experience hearing medical conditions but do not embrace Deaf culture. This view of deafness contributes to many individuals’ perspective that Deaf athletes should not participate in the Paralympics, but rather in the Deaflympics, where their culture can be celebrated uniquely. However, this topic remains controversial within and beyond the Deaf community about whether or not these Games should be separated.
A common view among those in the Deaf community is the desire to preserve Deaf culture, fearful that the loss of an event like the Deaflympics would hurt such an opportunity. There are not many opportunities for Deaf culture and pride to be celebrated at such a global scale, so the Deaflympics is an opportunity to raise awareness about the Deaf community. This contrasts with the opposing opinion that Deaf individuals should simply be an additional category in the Paralympics. D/deaf individuals have competed at the Paralympics but only when they have had a coexisting disability that qualifies them to participate in the Games.
To explore these different perspectives on the inclusion of Deaf athletes at the Paralympics, I reviewed insight from a prominent community member and interviewed my father.
Viewpoint 1: Combining Representation
One popular take on this argument advocates for the inclusion of Deaf athletes at the Paralympics. According to one 2016 opinion piece entitled “The Paralympics - Should Deaf Athletes Take Part?”, some Deaf people believe that Deaf athletes should compete at the Paralympics—it gives the public more exposure to Deaf sports and there’s higher funding. The article mentions a quote from Craig Crowley, a previous president of the ICSD, who once said: “I think the Deaflympics is sustainable long term as an isolated event, but at the moment we are going through rough waters… Right now we are not getting the exposure we need and, therefore, we are not getting the sponsors we need. That is crucial because we want it to be a top event for our athletes.” Crowley is a firm supporter of Deaf athletes participating in the Paralympics, going on to address the shared resources of transportation and technology between the Paralympics and Olympics that are missed out by Deaflympic athletes. But he recognizes that there would need to be a whole new disability category to accommodate for Deaf people.
Viewpoint 2: Separate Cultural Preservation
Through this wide range of views, I decided to interview my Deaflympian father to learn about his experiences at the Deaflympics and see what his views are about the situation.
Interview with my Dad (A: Arezo, D: Dad)
A: Tell me about what got you interested in water polo, and how you got to the Deaflympics level?
D: When I was in middle school [for the Deaf], I heard from some friends about an opening for the swim and water polo team. I was immediately interested in joining and knew it would be a lot of fun. When I joined, I wanted to earn medals and immediately made that my goal. Two years into the program, the coach chose me in tryouts to join the team. I believe I was chosen not only based on my skills, but also because I had been very committed to the team, always showing up to practice, and self-motivated. I was shocked the coach chose me to be on the Deaflympics team!
A: That’s so interesting to hear about, that must’ve been very exciting for you to have been chosen. Could you explain what you know about the differences between the Deaflympics and Paralympics for those who may not know?
D: It is an issue of differences in physical ability and culture. For one, Deaf people have their own culture and a very different way of communicating. Deaf people have our own language to communicate, and we need interpreters and a whole different system to understand what’s happening. Also, it’s a matter of equity. If Deaf people participated in the Paralympics, they could have an advantage because deafness aside, we are otherwise able-bodied and it wouldn’t be fair.
A: Thanks for that breakdown! Could you explain how communication worked at the Deaflympic Games?
D: We used an international sign language. I didn’t learn it until I actually got to the Games, it was very easy to pick up on.
A: Oh wow! During your events and your stay, did you feel accommodated? How did you feel about accessibility?
D: I felt very accommodated, of course. There were sign language interpreters everywhere, it is essential to run the Games.
A: That’s great! And one last question, do you envision Deaf athletes with no other coexisting disabilities being able to join the Paralympics, or do you believe they should be separate?
D: I believe that we need to preserve the Deaflympics and keep the two Games separate. There is a strong sense of community in the Deaflympics that is so valuable and we can’t lose it. It is also a matter of equity in that there are all Deaf athletes competing together, so they are all on the same level.
A: Thank you so much for being a part of the interview! I learned a lot!
D: Thank you for having me!
References:
The History of the Paralympic Games - Paris 2024, Accessed 30 Aug. 2024.
“The Paralympics – Should Deaf Athletes Take Part?”, The Rebuttal, 24 Sept. 2016