Scriptwriter and director Jevon Whetter is Deaf and worked with the production of “Flash Before the Bang” which is about an all-Deaf track and field team that won the Oregon State Championship in 1986. Joined by Jevon’s brother Delbert as producer, the cast includes Daniel Durant of CODA fame, Russell Harvard from Fargo and Jessica Alba, who will also serve as executive director together with Ben Affleck and Matt Damon. The world has changed in the 37 years since the Deaf Oregon team won a state championship, and this movie will help show how much.

Most Deaf children are born to hearing parents who don’t know sign language. The incidental learning that is very important for picking up language often doesn’t happen. In Kenya, a program called Lugha Ishara was developed to deal with that problem. Lack of access to language hurts growth. It affects social and emotional learning, impulse control, brain development, confidence, self-esteem, education. With so much impact, early intervention can make a big difference. Lugha Ishara gathers information from local hospitals and clinics to reach parents with Deaf children. Then they work to educate parents or caregivers about their child’s options for learning language. Those who agree to use sign language as part of their children’s experience begin a program with the Language Development Centre to expose children to Kenyan Sign Language.

Data Lead Africa in central Nigeria is hosting a Deaf Tech Summer Camp titled Digits and Signs as part of their larger Deaf in Tech program, which teaches advanced data analytics, data visualization, and how to use research tools. Dr Arowolo Ayoola, a partner at Data Lead had a Deaf roommate in university. His familiarity with Deaf people disturbed him that after graduation, his roommate struggled to find work while he was soon hired. Starting January 2022, Ayoola hired 30 interpreters, including those who interpreted for hearing trainers and others who became trainers themselves. The first class of thirty students completed their courses in August, and another class graduated in September. Ayoola reported each students’ training costs as around US$156 (N$120,000) and training focuses on Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, and Power BI software. The children’s summer camp program will be a first for Data Lead Africa. The entire Deaf in Tech program is intended to model Deaf diversity, equity and inclusiveness for other Nigerian businesses.

Athletes from about 30 countries participated in 21 sports at the “Summer Games of the Deaf” in Ufa for 10 days at the end of August. Having beein deprived of the opportunity to participate in various international competitions due to international sanctions, Russia took on itself to organize its own competitions at home.

The 5th World Deaf Bowling Championship was held August 1-12 in Munich, Germany. 200 athletes from 27 countries arrived. Despite the fact that Germany is considered the birthplace of bowling, and representatives of Asia and Oceania have the largest number of medals: South Korea, Japan and Taiwan. Only a few athletes from Europe managed to take prizes.