Originally planning its budget around a hoped-for $2 million in funding, the Deaflympics Organizing Committee has had to scale back its plans for the 16th Winter Games to about $1.3 million, says Benedict. Cut back were some of the arts and cultural plans, including an arts festival. But "the (athletic) competition is intact," he says. "It's what we envisioned it would be.

"But we can always use more donations," he add.

The Winter Deaflympics will feature ice hockey, alpine skiing, various snowboarding events including giant slalom and half pipe, Nordic skiing and curling, a first for the Deaflympics.

Occasionally, says snowboarder Pollock, there are physical challenges to being a Deaf athlete at competitions such as what some call "the hearing Olympics." Starting guns and referee's whistles can present a problem, but these can be solved with flashing lights.

More important is the lack of camaraderie Deaf athletes sometimes feel. "For most hearing people, writing back and forth as a communication tool is time-consuming and, for that reason, communication is brief," mostly limited to information such as what time a qualifying race starts, Pollock says. "This severely limits the level of camaraderie that we athletes have while waiting for our runs. While hearing racers are chatting it up, developing friendships and respect, he says, the Deaf athlete is left out.

On the other hand, Deaf athletes have a bond that comes from a lifetime of common experiences of living in a hearing world, he says, including "them not understanding us and being called 'dumb."'

Although Deaflympics athletes come from 25 different countries with different types of sign language, that's only a minimal barrier, Pollock says. At the very least, they can use International Sign Language, a mix of various signs and gestures from different signed languages.

Deaflympics organizers hope Utah's hearing public will join Utah's Deaf community at the Games. Opening ceremonies will take place at the Huntsman Center at the University of Utah on Saturday. Closing ceremonies will be at the Salt Palace Convention Center on Feb. 10.

A Deaf Expo, sponsored by Sorenson Communications of Salt Lake City, will be held at the Salt Palace on Friday and Saturday. There will be Deaf art and performances, as well as booths showing off the latest communications technologies. The International Congress of Sports for the Deaf will also meet in Salt Lake City on Thursday and Friday.

A play, "Sideways Stories from Wayside School" will be presented Thursday, Friday and Saturday at Kingsbury Hall on the University of Utah campus, featuring both a speaking and signing actor for each role. The idea, says director Rachel Briley of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, is to not only provide equal access for Deaf audience members but a chance to expose hearing people to Deaf language.

The Deaflympics are the second-oldest multicultural sporting event in the world, according to the Deaflympics Web site, which lists the first Deaf world games as a 1924 Paris event, nicknamed The Silent Games, that drew Deaf athletes from nine European countries. The 17th Winter Deaflympics will be held in Slovakia in 2011.

For more information and a schedule of events, visit www.2007deaflympics.com.

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E-mail: jarvik@desnews.com