A Deaf dog named PeeWee went viral on TikTok and other platforms showing PeeWee could understand ASL. Nikki Engleman found the dog on the streets and decided to adopt him . She realized the dog could understand some ASL and picks up new signs quickly! Nikki’s TikTok page has 173,000 followers and she has also created a YouTube page!

Deaf and disabled people around the world have expressed concern about the recent cutbacks in Twitter’s accessibility team. Oscar-winning Deaf actress Marlee Matlin called out Twitter’s new CEO, Elon Musk, via a tweet saying that during the 12 years she has been on Twitter, she has advocated for diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility on behalf of millions of people who are Deaf, hard of hearing or disabled. Upon purchasing Twitter, Musk has dismantled Twitter’s accessibility team.

Deaf children from New the ‘Ko Taku Reo’ school of Deaf recently had the opportunity to meet with members of the French women’s Rugby World Cup 2021 team. Students played with several rugby stars including Maëlle Filopon who is also hard of hearing. Rugby star Filopon said growing up, she had not met many people who were Deaf, and said she liked being around the Deaf students and hoped that some would grow up to be rugby players too.

The Rights of People with Disabilities group came up with the title “Most Beautiful Deaf Girl” to promote the most beautiful Deaf women and girls in Nigeria who have hidden talents such as hairdressing, makeup artistry, and clothing design. We celebrate that a Deaf woman has been acknowledged and won the title, and that her goal with the title is to empower Deaf women to stand up for themselves, not stay at home, and seek employment opportunities.

Fargi Moosa, a member of the Alg-Waagh – Muslim Deaf Institute – where he studies Islam and teaches sign language has become the first Deaf person to lead the Muslim prayer at at a mosque.

The Filipino Deaf community, while dealing with COVID-19, was able to put on the delayed “28th Deaf Festival” at the School of Deaf Education and Applied Sciences (SDEAS). Run by students, the first Deaf Festival was held in 1995 and it has become the biggest celebration of Deaf culture and identity in the country.

The Association of the Deaf in Israel is planning its first Deaf festival in the country. Called “Achla Festival”, it will be held in Tel Aviv on December 8-10th. It will include events and performances, Visual Vernacular (VV) workshops, an escape room game, a cafe and a photo corner.