Deaflympic UK: Decline and fall.

It rolls on and on with deaf sport carping at paralympians and 'Deaf' blogs and articles taking pot-shots along the way, clearly there is anger at apparent 'exclusion' of deaf access to the paralympics, but, is any of it true ?  No it isn't.  All it has achieved with UK Guardian articles and BBC blog articles, is most people want deaf to stop shouting 'Foul play' and get their act together, they gain no support undermining what has been the most successful paralympics in history.

The UK deaf CANNOT sustain a go-it alone policy.  Can the deaflympics even hold regular event in the future ?  Attempts to get 'into' that paralympics via an indirect route that would have seen deaf STILL going it alone, has not got far, and, what do world deaflympians feel about the UK trying to compete in everything but not WITH anyone else ? Recent articles from Mr Swinbourne swing for and then against the paralympians, there is no unity of approach at all, but who suffers ?  Paralympians ?  They don't who needs deaf input.  Read a recent response regarding the recent Swinbourne hoo-ha.....

"The Author is Charlie Swinbourne. Unfortunately there is strong differences of opinion about deaf participations and the paralympics. Personally I find the deaf entirely at faulty (i.e. the deaflympic executive, not the sport people). Charlie has bias toward the deaf side, I don't. There were two articles printed, one by the CEO of the deaflympics, blaming the paralympic committee for not accepting specialised access, the other by charlie S ALSO blaming the paralympics, then this recent article suggesting.. some middle road ? Consistency seems a real issue, but the fault is cultural basically.

In reality and as my blog recorded, there are ALREADY deaf participants who participate at the paralympics, and still doing, an deaf-blind dressage medal winner, as well as a Russian runner who used sign language at the finishing post, and an deaf swimmer who HAD access via a flashing light system, this suggests to me the claims they are 'excluded' are unfair. Some are deaflympians, others paralympians, and some are both, AND some participating in the MAIN Olympics too as HI and deaf.. This suggests to me the claims by deaflympics they are excluded by the paralympic committee was quite without foundation. 'Demands' by deaflympics really wanted funding that would  re-establish the deaflympics  within the paralympics, just a way to get funding really, but unwilling to be listed alongside or to compete against 'disabled' or paralympians. I raised this issue direct WITH the deaflympic (UK), CEO, he refused response when confronted.

If not the Paralympics then compete with the main one. There is a strong bias that suggests facts get in the way of a good story. You don't have to read between lines to see the Deaf do NOT want to be integrated with the paralympians. It is a shame as the platform for awareness not only for deaf people, and awareness, but of deaf sporting achievement is to be some 'battle-ground' for deaf to go it alone in the name of culture. Are not the Olympics multi-cultural ? and, multi-communicational too ?   They had 25 years to lobby for reasonable access.... Of course they are, that IS the point of it. Near every reference to deaf and the paralympics has been about deaf artists and not deaf competitors, but they ARE there. It's just a sporting mess, and deaf need to get their act together. Sacking their sporting body is a start."

Deaf who DO

Paralympics letting the deaf down

Why deaf are still not paralympians

Why can't I be an paralympian ?

Showing deaf how its done

What ARE the deaflympics ?