Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) and National Technical Institute of the Deaf (NTID) are hosting the ‘Shaped by the American Dream’ exhibit. The showing ‘Shaped by the American Dream’ shows art of the 100 years of Deaf American experience. More than 140 pieces of work are featured – Deaf identity, citizenship, sociality, education, and movements for equality. This display in the Joseph F. and Helen C. Dyer Arts Center at RIT/NTID ran until April 21, 2023.

The impact of the 1880 Milan Conference, which endorsed oralism in Deaf education, was felt globally but has lasted longer in some countries. Deaf education in India today is primarily oral. There are around 18 million Deaf people in India, yet public understanding of Deaf abilities are low and expectations of students are low. Education begins late. Delayed access to language is common. Two Deaf Indians, Neha Atique and Sana Sheikh, are advocating for increased ISL exposure for Deaf children.

Jenelle Rouse, who lives in Canada, is the first Deaf Black person to receive a Ph.D. She completed the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Teacher Education Program in 2008 in Canada, received her Master of Arts in Applied Linguistics in Education from the Western Ontario University in 2016. Then she went on to complete her Ph.D in 2020. Jenelle has worked as an educator in a bilingual school for the Deaf in Ontario for more than 10 years. During that time, she also worked as a Canadian applied linguistics researcher and art artist. She is a body movement dancer and tells stories through movements of contemporary bodies.

About 5,000 Deaf residents, mostly from Eastern Ukraine, have left the country since the war began, and around 33,000 remain. They rely on mobile phones for news, warnings and communication with work, friends and family. But often missiles and bombs strike suddenly without notice because mobile phone networks are down or damaged. One Deaf woman was trapped under the rubble of her bombed apartment building for 20 hours in cold weather, and was rescued after she signaled she was alive through her smartwatch.

Access to democracy for Deaf citizens is still not complete. Abdullah Tani Konateh, a Deaf advocate at the Liberia National Association of the Deaf is demanding sign language interpreters for the voter registration process. Without a clear understanding of how to register to vote, Deaf Liberians are unable to enjoy their rights. Konateh wants the government to do more outreach to Deaf voters at schools and community centers and partner with Deaf organizations. He considers providing interpreters for voter registration as “a fundamental step in promoting social inclusion and ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to participate in the democratic process.”