Spotlight: The Allure of the Deaflympics

TOKYO 2025 DEAFLYMPICS Games Emblem

From November 15 (Sat.) to 26 (Wed.), the Deaflympics, the international multi-sport event for deaf and hard-of-hearing athletes, will be held. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Deaflympics and the first-ever competition held in Japan. Discover the highlights and excitement of the Deaflympics, so let’s all join together and celebrate this great event!

What are the Deaflympics?
The term Deaflympics is a combination of the words Deaf + Olympics. “Deaf” in English means unable to hear. The Deaflympics is an international Olympic-style competition for athletes who are deaf or hard of hearing, and the Games bring together more than 3,000 athletes from 70 to 80 countries around the world.

Deaflympics Athletes Hearing
To compete in the Deaflympic Games, athletes must have a hearing loss of more than 55 dB in the better ear without hearing aids or cochlear implants. Decibels (dB) measure the loudness or intensity of sound; the higher the number, the louder the sound. A loss of 55 dB is roughly the point where normal conversation cannot be heard, while typical hearing is a loudness level or hearing threshold of 25 dB or less.

How the Deaflympics Differ from the Olympics!
The rules for each sport are the same as in the Olympic Games;
however, the visual cues provided to athletes set the Deaflympics apart because the athletes cannot hear whistles, starter pistols, or verbal instructions during competition.
For athletics, a device called the starting lamp signals the start with lights instead of sound. Linked to the starter pistol, the lamp gives athletes a visual cue by using red for “On your marks,” yellow for “Set,” and green for the starting gun.
In volleyball, players communicate using sign language, speechreading or sign language interpreters*, instead of voices, and the athletes showcase advanced teamwork through eye contact.

*Speechreading is a method of understanding speech by observing the speaker’s lip movements and facial expressions.

In soccer, all referees carry flags, and the head referee controls the game using both a whistle and visual signals. In international competitions, five referees in total, including the head referee and assistant referees who use flags to communicate the status of the game from multiple directions to the players.

Deaflympics and Sign Language
Awareness Panel Exhibition is Now Open

A panel exhibition is being held to promote the understanding of sign language and features an overview of the Tokyo 2025 Deaflympics marathon course that runs through Shimbashi and Shiodome, as well as a profile of the athlete Takada Hiroshi.

Sign Language Awareness Panel Exhibition is Now Open
Exhibition Period: Until 11/26 (Wed.)
Venue: Minato City Sports Center

Exhibition Period

Until 11/26 (Wed.)

Venue

Minato City Sports Center

Sign Yell

Cheering in sports has traditionally relied on voices and auditory cues. In the field of deaf sports, however, spectators have been limited in how they could communicate encouragement to athletes.
“Sign Yell” was developed so that all people, regardless of hearing ability, could convey their support to deaf athletes.

Grounded in the visual perception of the world and in Japanese Sign Language (JSL), Sign Yell was created in collaboration with deaf group and deaf athletes.

About sign yell