Tag Archives: Deaflympic funding

Why the Deaflympics Deserves Full Funding: A Call for Equality in Sports

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Despite a century of excellence, Deaflympic athletes are still forced to self-fund their participation. It’s time for change.

The Deaflympics Deserve Full Funding and Recognition

The Deaflympics is a world-class sporting event, yet its athletes are forced to self-fund their journey to compete at the highest level. Chris Ratcliffe, CEO of UK Deaf Sport, has highlighted this critical issue in his interview with Matt Taylor for BBC News in the article titled ‘We have to fund the Deaflympics ourselves’, and it is time for the sporting community, corporate sponsors, and government bodies to step up and provide the necessary support. Ratcliffe has been working tirelessly to raise awareness of this issue, and last month, BBC’s Matt Taylor caught up with him to discuss the urgent need for funding and recognition.

Chris Ratcliffe, CEO, UK Deaf Sport “We have to fund the Deaflympics Ourselves”

Photo Credit: © Mark Lomas 2011.

A Century of Excellence, Yet Still Overlooked

As Matt Taylor reported in his BBC News article, for 100 years, the Deaflympics has provided elite deaf athletes with a platform to compete on a level playing field. Established in 1924, it was the first international sporting event for athletes with disabilities, predating the Paralympics by nearly four decades. Despite this rich history, it remains one of the least recognized global sporting competitions. While Olympic and Paralympic athletes receive direct financial support, their Deaflympic counterparts must raise an estimated £4,000 each to represent Great Britain at the upcoming Tokyo games.

This financial burden places deaf athletes at a significant disadvantage. Many are in full-time education or employment while training at an elite level. The additional stress of securing funding detracts from their preparation and undermines their potential to compete at their best.

The Government’s Role in Funding Equity

The UK government, through Sport England, has provided £1.27 million in funding for UK Deaf Sport until 2027. While this is an important step in supporting grassroots initiatives, it does not directly address the financial struggles of athletes preparing for the Deaflympics. As highlighted in Taylor’s article, the exclusion of Deaflympic athletes from UK Sport funding—reserved for Olympic and Paralympic competitors—suggests a misunderstanding of the event’s elite status and its importance to the deaf community.

The time has come for UK Sport and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to recognize the Deaflympics as an elite-level competition worthy of direct funding. Elite deaf athletes deserve the same financial backing as their Olympic and Paralympic counterparts. This is not just about funding; it is about equality, representation, and the value we place on all athletes, regardless of how they communicate.

Breaking Barriers and Inspiring the Next Generation

Beyond competition, the Deaflympics serves as a vital tool in breaking down barriers for young deaf athletes. As Ratcliffe noted in Taylor’s piece, studies show that deaf children are twice as likely to be inactive compared to their hearing peers. The lack of visibility and investment in deaf sports contributes to this disparity. If we want to create a truly inclusive sporting culture, funding the Deaflympics must be a priority.

UK Deaf Sport’s Destination Deaflympics campaign is a promising initiative to increase awareness, but awareness alone is not enough. If we want young deaf athletes to see the Deaflympics as a viable goal, we must remove financial obstacles. One way to do this is through corporate sponsorships, media partnerships, and a dedicated government-backed funding stream that ensures no athlete is forced to fund their own participation in an event of this magnitude.

UK Deaf Sports Youth engagement programme

A Call to Action

The Deaflympics embodies the very essence of sport: perseverance, excellence, and inclusivity. Yet, as Taylor’s article makes clear, its athletes continue to be sidelined in the funding conversation. It is time for change.

  • Government bodies must formally recognize the Deaflympics as an elite event and provide direct financial support.
  • Corporate sponsors should step up and back our elite deaf athletes, just as they do for Olympians and Paralympians.
  • The media must give the Deaflympics the attention it deserves, ensuring wider public awareness and engagement.
Support DeaflympicsGB

The Deaflympics should not be an event where only those who can afford it get to compete. Every athlete representing Great Britain on the world stage should do so knowing that their country stands behind them—financially, institutionally, and culturally.

It’s time to fund the Deaflympics properly. Anything less is a failure of our commitment to true sporting equality.

For more details on the politics and history of the Deaflympics read “Same Spirit Different Team”

Fair Play for Deaflympic Athletes: Post-election Alliance Building and Advocacy

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“Amidst election preparations, the #FairPlayforDeafAthletes campaign highlights the need for equitable funding, showing significant backing from the British Sign Language community.”

Over the past 6 months there has been an online petition to change the UK government policy to fund Deaflympic athletes that garnered 8,333 signatures, which fell short of the 10,000 needed for a government response and the 100,000 required for a parliamentary debate. This petition closed on the 20th May deadline this week.

Let’s consider the merits of this petition using percentages to better illustrate the support within the context of the UK population and the British Sign Language (BSL) community:

UK Deaf Sport’s delegation to the Sports Minister 13th May 2024

 Proportional Representation and Advocacy

1. Population Context:

   – The UK has a population of approximately 60 million people. Within this population, around 175,000 individuals are sign language users ranging from those who use it as their first language and others who have required it by learning the language and being exposed to and involved in Deaf community activities such as Deaf sport. This group includes deaf, hard of hearing and hearing individuals.

   – The 8,333 signatures represent about 0.014% of the total UK population. This may seem like a small percentage, but it’s more significant when viewed within the context of the BSL community.

   – Within the BSL community, 8,333 signatures equate to roughly 4.8%. This demonstrates a strong level of support and engagement from the BSL community itself.

2. Awareness and Mobilization:

   – The campaign successfully mobilized nearly 5% of the BSL community, indicating a high level of concern and commitment to the issue within this group.

   – However, to reach the thresholds set for government responses or parliamentary debates, the campaign needs to extend its reach beyond the immediate community to garner broader public support.

3. Legitimacy of the Petition:

   – Despite not meeting the required thresholds, the petition shows substantial support from a dedicated community, highlighting the legitimacy and urgency of the issue.

– The 10,000 and 100,000 thresholds are 0.0167% and 0.167% respectively of the UK population

– The 8,333 signatures are 4.8% of the UK’s BSL community.

   – This level of support within a specific community suggests the issue deserves attention and should not be dismissed due to the overall percentage being small in the context of the entire UK population.

Map from the petition website showing signatures represented EVERY constituency of the UK except one. The darker shading showing signatures with higher % of each area.

 Implications of the Government Shutdown for the General Election due on 4th July 2024

1. Impact on Current Advocacy:

   – With the government shutdown for the General Election campaign, parliamentary activities will be paused, delaying any immediate action on the petition.

   – This period can be challenging for advocacy efforts as the focus shifts to election campaigns.

2. Strategic Opportunities:

   – The election period presents an opportunity to engage with MPs and candidates, pressing them to include support for Deaflympic funding in their election platforms.

   – This can be a strategic moment to bring the issue to the forefront and secure commitments from candidates.

 Options and Next Steps for #FairPlayforDeafAthletes

1. Lobbying and Advocacy:

   – Engage with political candidates and parties to secure pledges of support for Deaflympic funding.

   – Organize meetings, write letters, and use social media to highlight the importance of this cause during the election period. https://ukdeafsport.org.uk/fairplayfordeafathletes/

2. Public Awareness Campaign:

   – Increase the visibility of the campaign through media outreach, collaborations with other advocacy groups, and public demonstrations.

   – Share personal stories of Deaflympic athletes and the impacts of funding shortages to garner public sympathy and support.

3. Future Petitions and Partnerships:

   – Consider launching another petition after the election, with strategies to surpass the required thresholds.

   – Partner with broader disability and sports organizations to expand the support base and increase reach for future petitions.

4. Direct Engagement with Elected Officials:

   – After the election, engage directly with newly elected MPs to advocate for policy changes and secure their commitment to supporting Deaflympic athletes.

   – Identify supportive MPs who can champion the cause within Parliament and help drive policy changes.

Signing Off

While the petition did not meet the required signatures, it demonstrated strong support within the BSL community, representing nearly 5% of this group.

The upcoming election provides a critical opportunity to push the #FairPlayforDeafAthletes agenda by engaging with candidates and raising public awareness.

By leveraging this period strategically and building broader alliances, the campaign can continue to advocate for equitable funding for Deaflympic athletes.