The Deaf International Judo Federation (DIJF) and the International Judo Federation (IJF) have taken a major step toward inclusion of Deaf athletes with a new partnership to support them in judo. After signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the end of 2024, leaders from both organisations recently came together during the recent World Judo Championships in Budapest to discuss how they will work together to promote judo and kata for athletes who are Deaf or hard of hearing. Key figures present included DIJF founder Damien Antoine, International Committee of Sports for the Deaf (ICSD) President Dr Adam Kosa, and IJF President Marius Vizer. This shows a strong commitment from both sides.

Every day, 60-year-old Deaf man Du Huayu rides his motorcycle to his locksmith booth in Ningxia, China, where he has worked for more than 35 years. Du is Deaf and uses sign language, gestures, writing, and WeChat messages to communicate with his customers. His workbench is neatly arranged with tools, including some he made himself, and more than 100 keys of different shapes. He says working is a key part of his daily routine and brings structure to his life. Many customers reach out to him online, and he records their requests in a notebook to prepare for each job. Du became Deaf in childhood and began learning about locks at a welfare factory job when he was 16. After being laid off in 1990, he started collecting old lock parts to teach himself how they worked, eventually opening his own stall. 

CHAGEE has opened Southeast Asia’s first Signing Store at the National University of Singapore (NUS), staffed entirely by 14 Deaf and hard-of-hearing baristas. The store is a modern tea outlet serving CHAGEE’s popular milk tea beverages and has been specially designed to support Deaf staff through accessible features. It was launched in partnership with SG Enable and the Singapore Association for the Deaf, aiming to create more opportunities for an inclusive working environment. To support communication, the tea bar features sound-absorbing cork walls, touchscreen ordering, visual order displays, mirrors for customer visibility, and a writing board at the pick-up area. Customers can also learn basic Singapore Sign Language through a flip chart wall and are encouraged to leave notes of support for the staff.

You can try Sordo soup in a large mug in Ghent, Belgium. A Deaf chef and owner Christophe Taveirne of a small restaurant called Sordo. There are different soups on the menu. On the walls of the restaurant are the names of the ingredients in the soups and gestures for them. They also prepare vegan soups and choose organic products, gluten-free bread. Coffee with dessert is served.

A seminar on “Women’s Leadership in Sports” by EDSO was held in Istanbul,
Turkiye on May 2-3. 1-2 women came from different countries to share their
experience in sports, strengthen teamwork and develop further. Why? There are
usually many more men than women in sports. We need to work and raise the
motivation of Deaf female athletes, coaches and representatives.