Keivonn Woodard, a Deaf 10-year old, was nicknamed by his hockey teammates and coaches, “Hollywood” for his goal celebrations. Now Keivonn is in Hollywood for real, and was recently nominated for an Emmy Award for his role in the TV series The Last of Us. The production team say that Keivonn has a lively sense of confidence that comes through in his scenes. CJ Jones, a successful Black Deaf actor and the Director of ASL for the show, said, “Seeing a young, Black Deaf actor appearing in this role and working on set is the greatest honor, because I had the privilege to show how much talent he has on-screen.”

During the recent World Federation of the Deaf Congress in Jeju, South Korea, General Assembly members discussed selection of a “Deaf flag”. Three designs for a Deaf flag were proposed, and Deafblind French artist Arnaud Balard’s Sign Union flag was chosen. The design was first shared with the public when the Deaf French National Federation approved the flag in May 2014. Nine years later, the flag is now officially recognized by the WFD as the Deaf flag. The design uses three colors to form the outline of a hand, symbolic of the central role that sign language holds in the cultural and linguistic lives of Deaf people worldwide. Balard said his biggest dream was to create a flag that people would identify with immediately as a strong symbol. Why a flag? As Balard put it, “when you see one, you can feel at home, “ he explains, “Finding a Deaf flag in the crowd, instantly you would know that there is another person like you who will accept who you are!

Earlier this year, the Philippine School for the Deaf was recognized by the National Museum of the Philippines as an important cultural property. In a ceremony attended by the mayor, local officials, a Japanese embassy official and National Museum representatives, the mayor noted the concrete and wood-framed school built in 1907 was the first Deaf school in the Philippines and one of the first Deaf schools in Asia. It has stood the test of time, surviving falling trees, several typhoons, earthquakes and political revolutions. The school is now semi-residential and instruction is provided via SimCom.

In Chile, the Deafness Institute released its first digital collection, which is called “Our education is in your hands.” The objective of the campaign is to raise awareness and collect funds that allow continuity in the educational project that the Institute has through its Jorge Otte Gabler school. The school has more than 100 Deaf students from early stimulation to fourth grade. In addition to the work level, training tools are provided for students with special needs in order for them to achieve development and autonomy that allows them to go out into the world. The educational project has an Intercultural Bilingual component, where Deaf and hearing adults coexist in the encounter between different cultures and there is the presence of two languages permanently: Chilean sign language and Spanish.

In Medellín, a company called Filarmed has set up a “Soy Músico” musical project to offer music workshops to Deaf people. The Royal College of Music in London is also parterning on this project along with support from the Musical International Network. The program creates spaces for people with disabilities to participate in musical experiences and concerts.