Gallaudet University and other surrounding buildings will start using solar energy through a community solar panel by autumn 2023. A distributed clean energy and microgrid platform will be built across rooftops and parking garages, combined with a cooling, heating, and power system.

This helps to meet the energy challenges of the 21st century, reduce the university’s utility costs, and to provide enough electrical needs for the campus. 

“CODA” winning Best Picture at Oscars left Deaf communities around the world feeling like doors are finally opening for them now the world can see that Deaf people can do anything. They hope that this awareness about Deaf people will continue to grow. 

Sean Forbes, a Deaf hip-hop artist, said, “It just goes to show that anybody with a disability can overcome and succeed.” He hopes to go to the Grammys to be recognized on the same stage for his musical work.

On March 31st, a Deaf London man, Ezio Savva became the first person in the United Kingdom to become a fully qualified and registered relay-intralingual interpreter. The National Registers of Communication Professionals working with Deaf and Deafblind people (NRCPD) are looking forward to expanding Deaf Professionals on the registry.

RSLI Relay – Intralingual sign language interpreters are Deaf professionals who work with Deaf people with specific or complex language needs, such as a learning disability, mental health condition, or limited language development.

An 18-year-old Kashaf Alvi became the first Deaf Pakistani to receive Microsoft’s Certified Associate badge and the Pride of Pakistan award. Since Pakistani universities don’t provide courses in sign language, Alvi is preparing to apply to study in Sweden.

Zaigham Rizvi, chairman of the Sir Syed Deaf Association, says there is a lack of scientific terminology in Pakistani Sign Language, which makes it difficult to interpret scientific courses in sign language. This led Alvi to write a book about his challenges, “The Language of Paradise.”

Deaf students at universities in Macau are dropping out of their studies due to the impact of COVID-19 requirements around mask-wearing because it presents significant difficulties. Nerissa Lau, the director of the Macu Deaf Association said transparent masks in classrooms should be the standard practice.

In Macau, around 700 Deaf students are enrolled in higher education which is considered a lower number than normal. To build a more inclusive society, the University of Saint Joseph (USJ) and the Macau Deaf Association signed a partnership agreement to incorporate sign language in a Social Services degree course, with a focus on education and research.

The government of Zimbabwe is working towards improving and maintaining the rights of people with disabilities, and for them to be treated equally under the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. 

In 2019, the Public Service Commission in Zimbabwe hired a total of 703 disabled people. The Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) also introduced the use of sign language to spread information in its broadcasting. The government said the country is fully committed to improving the rights and welfare of persons with disabilities.