Eugène Rubens-Alcais (7 May 1884 – 8 March 1963) was a French deaf activist in the field of sports. He is known for introducing the

Deaflympics The Deaflympics also known as Deaflympiad (previously called World Games for the Deaf, and International Games for the Deaf) are a periodic series of multi-sport events sanctioned by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) at which Deaf athlet ...

in 1924 for deaf sportspeople. He was determined to establish international competitions for the deaf, as they were considered as intellectually disabled people during his lifetime. Alcais believed that deaf athletes should have their own independent international competitions and promoted the idea in his own deaf sports magazine called ''The Silent Sportsman''. In 1924, he was instrumental in hosting the inaugural Summer Deaflympics in his home country,

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

. Alcais is also the founder of

Comité International des Sports des Sourds Comité International des Sports des Sourds (CISS) is the apex body organizing international sports events for the deaf, particularly the Deaflympics (previously called World Games for the Deaf). It is also called the International Committee of Sp ...

(now called the International Committee of Sports for the Deaf), the world governing body of deaf sports. He is often called the "father of Deaflympics" or "father of Olympics for the deaf".

Biography

Alcais was born on 7 May, 1884 to a poor family in

Saint-Jean-du-Gard Saint-Jean-du-Gard ( oc, Sant Joan de Gardonenca) is a commune in the Gard department in southern France. History This city of the Cévennes, first mentioned in a 12th-century papal bull (''San Johannis de Gardonnenca cum villa''), was very much ...

. He was an auto mechanic by profession and a competitive cyclist.

Contributions to promote deaf sports

Eugène Rubens-Alcais is considered a pioneer of the deaf sports movement along with Antoine Dresse of Belgium. He was successful in hosting a multi-sport event for people who have

hearing problems Hearing loss is a partial or total inability to hear. Hearing loss may be present at birth or acquired at any time afterwards. Hearing loss may occur in one or both ears. In children, hearing problems can affect the ability to acquire spoken l ...

, known as the International Games for the Deaf or International Silent Games (now renamed the Deaflympics) in 1924. He himself as a deaf person realised that deaf people were discriminated against and were not allowed to compete in the

Olympics The modern Olympic Games or Olympics (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques) are the leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a var ...

, so he wanted to introduce a similar multi-sporting event. He was popular among the deaf community because of his initiatives to conduct competitions like Deaflympics for the goodwill of deaf participants. Alcais founded the

(CISS) jointly with Antoine in 1918 and served as its first President from 1924 to 1953. He also founded the Paris Sports Club for Deaf Mutes, which is now referred to as the Comité de Coordination des Sportifs Sourds de France (French Deaf Sports Federation), to improve the level of deaf sport in France. It is also the national governing body of France for deaf sports and to send deaf competitors to represent France at the Deaflympics. Due to his immense services to deaf society, he is often recognized as the deaf version of

Baron de Coubertin Charles Pierre de Frédy, Baron de Coubertin (; born Pierre de Frédy; ...

, the father of the modern Olympics. In order to respect him, the ICSD introduced Rubens-Alcais award which has been awarded for the development and improvement of deaf sports in various countries.

Awards

* Gold medal of honour of Deaflympics (1949) * Honorary Life Member of ICDS since 1953

References

1884 births 1963 deaths French sports executives and administrators Deaf activists French deaf people {{Authority control category:Burials at Ivry Cemetery