The Danish Deaf Sports Association (DDI) is an independent cross-disciplinary association under the Danish Sports Association (DIF) through our special association Parasport Denmark. Deaf sports are organized with an independent association, as it is significantly different from both hearing sports and disability sports due to our language and communication, Danish sign language. However, several of our hearing-impaired members today are integrated among hearing peers who cope daily with spoken language – most also play sports. It is important for us to emphasize that the association does not require any sign language to be part of the community – many still choose to learn it through their own will and curiosity, to the great benefit of both the individual as for the community.
DDI offers everyone with hearing loss the opportunity to meet others on an equal footing about sports and active association life. With us and in our member clubs, you can play sports according to your needs, and at different levels. We embrace both grassroots and elite sports, which means that we both have offers for those who most of all want to be active and social in their free time, but we also have offers for those who want to be serious with their sport, and for example dreams of the opportunity to participate in international tournaments for the deaf, such as the European Championships, the World Cup and the Deaflympics – the latter is the Olympics for the deaf.
Similar to the Olympic Games and the Paralympic Games for the Disabled, deaf sports have a similar event under the International Committee of Sports for the Deaf (ICSD) – Deaflympics, held every 4 years, are approved by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) with Olympic status. There is also similarly a Winter Deaflympics, which is staggered by 2 years.
Organization Events:
Deaf Sport Denmark