Meribel 1979
| Location: | Meribel, France |
| Opening Date: | 21 Jan 1979 |
| Closing Date: | 27 Jan 1979 |
| Nations: | 14 |
| Athletes: | 113 |
| Men: | 80 |
| Women: | 33 |
During the Congress held before the 9th World Winter Games, delegates voted to change the organization title, "International Committee of Silent Sports" to "Comite International des Sports des Sourds" (CISS).
Another important decision affecting sports was the establishment of eligibility rules. Competitors must be deaf, defined as a hearing loss of at least 55dB in the better ear.
Countries participated:
| Country | Men | Women | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
 Australia | 1 | 0 | 1 |
 Austria | 5 | 3 | 8 |
 Canada | 3 | 1 | 4 |
 Finland | 5 | 3 | 8 |
 France | 9 | 3 | 12 |
 Italy | 5 | 0 | 5 |
 Japan | 6 | 2 | 8 |
 Norway | 8 | 3 | 11 |
 Poland | 5 | 0 | 5 |
 Soviet Union | 5 | 5 | 10 |
 Sweden | 4 | 4 | 8 |
 Switzerland | 7 | 4 | 11 |
 United States | 9 | 2 | 11 |
 West Germany | 8 | 3 | 11 |
| Total | 80 | 33 | 113 |