The games were the brainchild of Eugène Rubens-Alcais, himself deaf and President of the French Deaf Sports Federation.

At a time when societies everywhere viewed deaf people as intellectually inferior, linguistically impoverished and often treated as outcasts, Monsieur Rubens-Alcais envisioned the international sports event as the best answer to prove that the deaf were more than what they were viewed.  

Antoine Dresse

Antoine Dresse, a young deaf Belgian, was instrumental in helping him accomplish his dream.

The traditions created by the founders were carried out and strengthened over the years by men and women who shared the passion for sports competition and for the establishment of a sense of identity within the world-wide deaf community. The members of this exclusive group of outstanding leaders share a background of lifelong commitment and leadership in their national as well as international deaf sports organizations.