Last week, the UK government finally acknowledged Deaflympians in Writing.
In a letter to the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee, Sports Minister Stephanie Peacock congratulated the 65 Deaf athletes who represented Great Britain at the Tokyo Deaflympics, praising their “extraordinary talent and resilience” and calling them role models for Deaf children.
Recognition matters. Deaf achievement is often ignored entirely.
But recognition without change is not progress.
When you read the letter closely, it becomes clear that nothing fundamental has shifted.
Praise does not equal equality
Despite the congratulations, Deaflympians are still excluded from the UK’s elite sport system. There is no access to Athlete Performance Awards. No place on the World Class Programme. No consistent funding for coaching, medical support, or performance preparation.
The explanation is the same one Deaf athletes have heard for years.
Deaf sport is governed by the International Committee of Sports for the Deaf, not the International Paralympic Committee. Because of this, Deaflympians are described as sitting “outside UK Sport’s remit”.
This is presented as a neutral technicality. It is not.
It is a decision that keeps Deaf athletes on the outside.
“Outside the remit” means “not designed for Deaf people”
Funding systems are built by people. They show priorities. When a system repeatedly excludes one group, the problem is not the group — it is the setup.
Deaf athletes train at elite level. They compete internationally. They follow anti-doping rules. They represent Great Britain under the flag, just like Olympic and Paralympic athletes.
The difference is not ability or commitment.
The difference is that Deafness does not fit neatly into the boxes the UK already uses.
Instead of redesigning the boxes, the setup asks Deaf athletes to accept exclusion.
Grassroots funding is not the same thing
The Minister’s letter highlights significant grassroots investment through Sport England, including funding for UK Deaf Sport and a specialist inclusion post.
Grassroots funding is important. It helps Deaf people get active and build community sport.
But grassroots funding does not pay for elite training. It does not cover international competition schedules. It does not offer full-time coaching, performance support, or the stability needed to compete against fully funded national systems.
Congratulating Deaf athletes for winning medals while pointing only to participation funding sends a clear message: Deaf sport is welcome at the bottom of the pathway, but not at the top.
We have had meetings before
The letter confirms more meetings. UK Sport will meet Deaf athletes. The Minister is open to further discussion.
Meetings are welcome. Listening matters.
But Deaf athletes and Deaf organisations have already told these stories. Evidence has already been shared. The problem is well understood.
What has been missing is not information.
What has been missing is action.
Without clear outcomes, meetings risk becoming another way to delay decisions while athletes continue to self-fund, self-organise, and self-sacrifice.
This is not about asking for favours
Deaf athletes are not asking for charity.
They are not asking to be “included” as a gesture of goodwill.
They are asking for equal recognition of elite performance.
They train. They compete. They win medals. They represent Britain on the world stage. They inspire Deaf children who rarely see themselves reflected in national sport.
If that is not elite sport, then the definition of elite sport is broken.
The real question
The Government’s letter is polite. It is careful. It avoids conflict.
But it does not answer the central question Deaf athletes are asking.
If Deaflympians are good enough to represent Great Britain,
good enough to win medals,
and good enough to inspire the next generation —
why are they still not good enough to be funded like other elite athletes?
Until that question is answered with real change, congratulations are just words.
You can read the UK Government press release and letter here
#FairPlayForDeafAthletes
Two Big Ears 