A major Deaf talent show was part of Musikfest, an annual event that runs over 11 days. This year it was held August 4th-13th in Pennsylvania. CJ Jones, a Deaf Hollywood veteran, was executive producer for Deaf talent. Deaf model, performer and author Nyle DiMarco appeared as Master of Ceremonies for Deaf and Hard of Hearing singers, singers, and rappers.

The World Federation of the Deaf (WFD) Congress in 2027 will be hosted at Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Some concerns have been raised about the safety of LGBTQIA+ people attending the event. In the UAE, there are laws against same-sex relationships. There are also laws prohibiting any workshops or presentations on LGBTQIA+ topics. During the recent WFD Congress in Jeju, South Korea, Ordinary Members (OMs) voted on the location, and it was initially tied between Norway and the UAE, with Nigeria behind. WFD initially recommended the UAE, but later they changed their recommendation when they found out that LGBTQIA+ topics couldn’t be discussed there. Despite the concerns, the UAE won the bid to host the Congress, beating out Norway and Nigeria. The UAE bid sparked concerns among some organizations and individuals, both at WFD and in the global Deaf community. A petition was started to challenge the decision, gaining thousands of signatures. The WFD board is in talks with the UAE to iron this out.

South Africa has become the fourth country in Africa to recognize sign language as an official language after Kenya, Zimbabwe and Uganda. A bill supporting recognition passed the South African National Assembly by a vote of 306-0. President Cyril Ramaphosa made the legislation official in a Pretoria ceremony that makes South Africa Sign Language recognition part of the country’s Constitution. The president noted that this addition to the Constitution is an expression of the country’s Bill of Rights, which bans discrimination. As the President says, “Official recognition is just the beginning, much more still needs to be done to support this language and we, on the government’s side, are going to make sure that it is implemented properly.”

Deaf German runner Tom Eller completed six marathons in the Abbott World Marathon Majors series whcih is held in major metropolitan cities around the world, including Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago, and New York City. Eller began running marathons at the age of 38 after someone offered him a spot in a marathon. Eller’s training routine includes running every day, usually at 4 a.m., to ensure he feels safe running alone in the dark. In addition to training 7 to 9 times a week, Eller also works as a teacher.