CHEER SIGNS

The Deaflympics celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2025 in Tokyo, yet awareness in Japan remains low at 14.8%. To ensure success, Tokyo needed to boost interest and fill venues inclusively. We turned our attention to one universal behavior in sports: cheering. Cheering in sports has long relied on sound, making it inaccessible to deaf athletes and leaving hearing fans unsure how to support them. To solve this, Cheer Signs—the first sign language for cheering—was created to transform sound-based cheering into visual expression through seven movements inspired by deaf culture. Through shared movement, Cheer Signs lets deaf and hearing people share the emotion of sport and deliver visual support to deaf athletes—bridging communities and driving inclusion.

“I appreciate the cheering, but I can’t hear it.” This insight from deaf athletes was the spark behind the project. While inclusivity is often discussed, minorities are still left on the sidelines. In Japan, many initiatives for the deaf have been created without their involvement, drawing criticism. This made one thing clear: true inclusion starts with who is at the table. The team was built with deaf people at the center—bringing together deaf athletes and creators, students from deaf schools, CODAs and hearing allies. Over two years, we tested, refined, and spread new forms of cheering through hands-on demonstrations and grassroots outreach.

Prototypes were tested across local deaf sports events, refining timing, clarity, and accessibility. Adoption grew through practice films, school programs, demonstrations, and media coverage, building grassroots momentum. Rooted in deaf culture, Cheer Signs incorporates rhythm, timing, and dynamic, high-visibility movements. Its seven forms are intuitive and accessible, enabling both deaf and hearing people to participate, each carrying a distinct message. Supported by sponsors like TOYOTA and ASICS, alongside the Japanese government, it gained national backing with participation from public figures and the Imperial Family. Activated at the Tokyo Deaflympics, it transformed spectators into participants, with entire venues performing Cheer Signs together.

Cheer Signs became a symbol of inclusion, creating a new cheering culture where anyone can support deaf athletes. -During the Deaflympics, the entire venue spontaneously united through Cheer Signs. -Members of the Imperial Family, including the Emperor and Princess sent Cheer Signs to the athletes. -Deaflympics awareness rose from 14.8% (2023) to 73.1% (2025). -A record 280,000 spectators, the highest in 100 years. -Cheering became a driving force for deaf athletes, contributing to 167% of the previous Games’ records. -Over 900 news stories covered Cheer Signs. -It is now adopted as an educational tool in 438 schools. -Cheer Signs is being considered as an official cheering system for the 2027 Winter Deaflympics in Austria.