Applause, cheers, and chants―cheering in sports has long been solely for those who can hear. Despite the Deaflympics being a Century old, cheering in deaf sport has continued to rely on sound. The reason was simple: there’s never been a sign language created for cheering. Support couldn’t reach Deaf athletes, while hearing spectators didn’t know how to cheer for them―leaving a deep divide between them. Cheer Signs ― the world’s first sign language created for cheering. Based on the universal sign language for applause, Cheer Signs consists of seven distinct cheering forms that incorporate Deaf-specific movement and rhythm. Deaf and hearing people came together as one team, spreading Cheer Signs across Japan through nearly two years of live demonstrations―enabling audiences to easily deliver encouragement and emotion to Deaf athletes. Cheer Signs became more than a form of cheering—it evolved into a symbol of an inclusive society that connects the Deaf and hearing beyond the boundaries of sport. Awareness of the Deaflympics rose from 14.8% in 2023 to 73.1% in 2025, with attendance reaching a record 280,000—the highest in the Games’ 100-year history. Cheering became a driving force, resulting in 167% of the previous Games’ records. The movement generated over 900 media reports across Japan and gained support from deaf athletes worldwide. Cheer Signs is now used in 438 schools as an inclusion-learning tool and is being considered as an official cheering system for the 2027 Winter Deaflympics in Austria.