Beautiful trouble from #DeafAwarenessWeek

By: Wendy Otieno, Communications Assistant, Voice

The International #DeafAwarenessWeek came to an end last week, but for us here at Voice, celebrating the differences of our abilities is an everyday thing. We share rich voices of individuals who in their own way showed us that real change-makers are just everyday people who find the strength to make change through their passion. From capturing the thoughts of two incredible youth in the Philippines on how #SignLanguage can promote peace and build relationships, to a dynamic deaf woman leader in Nigeria schooling us on how #SignLanguage can improve access to basic human services such as healthcare, education, and financial awareness.

We could go on and on about all of them but why not take a look and be inspired to be a change-maker?

All the way from Vietnam, here is Handspeak! Handspeak’s project Brighten Vietnamese Sign Language provides monthly workshops that cover important topics relevant to the local deaf community, such as trainings in Sign Language, lessons about deaf history and culture, work on their deaf identity, among others.

Two youth, different messages! Leonard Cheshire Disability Philippines Foundation (LCDPF) acts as the catalyst of civil society’s efforts to make local and national duty bearers more proactive in the implementation of existing international and national laws on the right to employment and livelihoods of persons with disabilities.

Meet the incredible Hellen from Deaf Women Aloud Initiative Nigeria. In her video below explains to us why Sign Language is important for women and other deaf persons in her community.

Sign language brought Chansopheap close to her family members thus promoting inclusion.

BISINDO has made deaf people in Indonesia feel included. You wonder how? Listen to Lia from Gerkatin explain more. Gerkatin is part of Pamflet in Indonesia whose project aims to strengthen deaf young people’s capacity, to encourage the commitment of the government, and to raise public awareness to the issue of deaf people employment.

We are here, we belong, we are eager to share. What if you happen to be deaf and LGBTI? Listen as Vongphone shares the importance of sign language for deaf LGBTI persons in Laos. The Lao Disabled People’s Association supports disability rights and promotes newly designed activities aimed to inform persons with disabilities about their rights to access local services, strategies to support improved accessibility of local services and the roles and responsibilities of local authorities and service providers in their communities.