“Starting Light” Developer Voices Hopes for Deaflympics

Tokyo, Nov. 17 (Jiji Press)–The developer of the “starting light” device hopes that the Tokyo 2025 Deaflympics, which began on Saturday, will raise awareness about the deaf community. The device will be used alongside the starting pistol for track events at the quadrennial sports festival for people with hearing difficulties. “I hope people become more aware of the difficulties that those who are hard of hearing go through,” said Masahisa Takemi, a 50-year-old teacher at the Central School for the Deaf, run by the Tokyo metropolitan government, who was involved in the development of the device. A palm-sized device used in short-distance events, the starting light is set up on the ground in each running track lane under the noses of athletes using a crouch start. The device lights up red for the call of “on your marks,” yellow for “set” and green for “go.” Rewinding the clock about 15 years, Takemi was an adviser for the track and field club of another school for the deaf in the Japanese capital. When a student from the club took part in the preliminary round of a 200-meter race in a competition also joined by nondisabled people, she had a late start because she could not hear the starting gun. In tears, the student said, “No matter how hard I try, I can’t win because I can’t hear.” According to Takemi, deaf athletes used to look up and start running after seeing other athletes spring into action or the movement of the starting gun. Therefore, he instructed his students to watch the starting gun carefully. However, Takemi changed his approach after seeing the female student’s tears. At the time, only starting lights made abroad were available, but they were impractical, due to their massive size. Seeking a more practical device, Takemi consulted his mentor during his university days and was introduced to Nishi Athletic Goods Co. An official of the Tokyo-based company backed Takemi’s vision and developed a prototype device in about three months. While working to improve the device, Takemi also frantically worked to convince organizers of domestic and overseas competitions to use it. The device was commercialized in 2019 and used at the previous Deaflympics held in Brazil in 2022. “I hope people realize that sports involve a lot of sound, such as the sound of a whistle and the voices of a referee,” Takemi said. “While people with hearing difficulties face many challenges, the starting light helps them compete on equal footing.” Referring to the ongoing Tokyo Deaflympics, Takemi said, “I hope that the event will help further public understanding of the deaf community.” END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]