Gallaudet University opened the Center for Black Deaf Studies to connect with its Black Deaf students and address issues they may experience on campus. The leaders say they personally experienced discrimination based on their race and disability and want the Center to ensure that no Black Deaf student faces the same issues.

“We don’t see ourselves as disabled,” says one Black Deaf Studies professor at Gallaudet, Carolyn McCaskill, “We consider ourselves a linguistic minority. And like ASL, Black Sign Language is beautiful.”

Nadeem Islam, a Deaf actor with experience in television, comedy, presenting and theatre, joined the cast of an UK TV series, “The Bay”. Nadeem says at first he experienced “Deaf anxiety” as everyone was wearing masks but eventually everyone on the set received a BSL video to increase Deaf awareness.

Nadeem hopes his role will inspire hearing family members of Deaf people to learn sign language.

The Christian Deaf Center, is a restaurant in Kwale fully run by Deaf staff selling coffee and tea and popular Kenyan dishes. Although the COVID-19 pandemic has presented challenges to getting ingredients, the restaurant continues to stay open providing Deaf people with jobs.

The manager says he is committed ot training Deaf employees and teaching them valuable skills.

As millions of viewers around the world tuned in to watch the 56th annual Super Bowl football game, the halftime show included Deaf performers Sean Forbes and WaWa. Deaf viewers were upset that Forbes and WaWa’s performances were cut off and not fully shown on TV and are demanding legal action to prevent this from happening again.

Msizi Dlomo, an engineering student lost his hearing due to blood cancer and had to change his career path to farming. He established a farming business, “Ihlongandlebe Farming” which grows spinach and cabbage.

He says “I wouldn’t be here if I was still hearing. When I accepted my loss, I gained a new talent”.

ARGENTINA: The Ministry of Human Development and Social Promotion in San Juan is establishing a WhatsApp phone number for Deaf and hard of hearing people to video call others using sign language interpreters on emergencies, family and financial issues, lack of housing and mental health issues.
PERU: Acceine and Collective Media are organizing a film festival for Deaf and disabled people.

Accessible movies with subtitles and audio descriptions from Chile, Argentina, Columbia, Uruguay, Cuba, Spain and Peru portraying stories related to human rights, childhood, and discrimination will be shown.