At the recent 2025 Sundance Film Festival in the United States, a Deaf-led documentary “Deaf President Now” gained significant attention and secured the runner-up spot for the prestigious Festival Favorite Award. The documentary, directed by Nyle DiMarco and Davis Guggenheim, takes a powerful look at the landmark 1988 protest at Gallaudet University when students, faculty, and supporters fought for the election of a Deaf president after the university's board appointed a hearing candidate. Through a blend of archival footage and interviews with key figures from the protest, the film displays the fight for Deaf empowerment and equal representation, during a pivotal moment in both Deaf history and civil rights activism. The documentary was praised for its emotional depth and timely relevance, bringing a crucial piece of history to a new generation.

A Deaf school in Brighton, United Kingdom that was set to close after 80 years will remain open, though concerns from parents persist. Hamilton Lodge School and College, which had planned to shut down in September due to a decline in student numbers, announced this week that the board of trustees had decided against closure. However, the school emphasized that it would need to make changes to ensure its long-term financial stability. Some parents, while relieved, expressed ongoing concerns about job losses and the future of the school’s services. Helen Husbands, a parent, described the experience as “traumatic” and said she would continue to advocate for the education of Deaf students.

From January 6 to 14, the World Alpine Skiing Championships were held in Jasna, Slovakia. Athletes from 12 countries came, the most distant being Japan and India. The star of the Championship, Melissa Koeck from Austria, was injured last year, had a knee operation, and managed to recover for the Championships and won several gold medals. Among men, Loranzi Luca from Italy showed the best results. 

There are few Deaf bloggers in Europe who actively publish blogs. One of them is Tassilo Sieben from Germany. A Deaf blogger, he likes to talk about interesting events, facts, and stories in sign language - international, which makes his blog accessible to many. He has more than 140 thousand subscribers, and each video receives an average of 200-300 thousand views.

In New Zealand, disability advocates have expressed outrage after the Justice Select Committee failed to provide closed captioning or New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) interpreters during live oral submissions on the Treaty Principles Bill. The Bill is currently being heard by the Justice Select Committee and aims to clarify and reinforce New Zealand’s commitment to the Treaty of Waitangi - the country’s founding document, and its principles in modern governance. The bill outlines how the government should apply Treaty principles in policy and decision-making processes. This has significant implications for Māori, Deaf, and other marginalized communities. However, disability advocates are deeply concerned that the lack of closed captioning or New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) interpreters for live submissions has excluded Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals from fully engaging with this critical legislative process.