Gallaudet and GADRA to Host Webinar on Deaf-Led Disaster Action

Gallaudet University, in collaboration with the Global Alliance for Disaster Resource Acceleration (GADRA), is pleased to announce an upcoming three-part series of programs, collectively known as “Deaf-Led Disaster Resilience.”

The first of three events will be a webinar — Deaf-Led Disaster Action, on Friday, September 24 at 1 p.m. UTC 9 a.m. ET/8 p.m. ITC/10 p.m. JST. This webinar will spotlight Deaf-lead organizations in Japan, Trinidad and Tobago, and Viet Nam, sharing what the organizations are doing to raise awareness about disaster impacts in these countries and the strategies used to advance disaster action. Deaf-led organizations play a vital role in disaster and humanitarian contexts, but are often overlooked in disaster research, training, management, and reporting. To register, go to https://gu.live/DLDA.

The second event, Deaf Leadership in International Disaster Policy, will be a panel. Information shared will center on ways policy can be improved to advance Deaf leadership in disaster management, including the infrastructures and funding mechanisms needed to support implementation. The panel will take place on Friday, October 29.

The series will culminate in a special edition of the World Institute on Disability’s “What’s Up, WID” podcast, which will premiere on Wednesday, November 17. The special edition, Deaf Youth Disaster Experiences and Action, will feature young Deaf adults from the Gallaudet University community — Olufemi Ige from Nigeria and Ai Takayama from Japan. They will share their experiences. Ige is Deaf-E³ Activity In-country Project Manager for USAID/GAIN-Nigeria, and Takayama is a Research Associate in the Center for Deaf Health Equity at Gallaudet.

All events will be in American Sign Language, English with live captioning, and International Sign Language. “Deaf-Led Disaster Action” (the first event) will also include interpretation in Japanese Sign Language and Ho Chi Minh Sign Language.

These events, sponsored by the Office of the Provost, will include: Dr. Audrey Cooper (Associate Professor and Director, M.A. in International Development) and Dr. Danielle Thompson (Associate Professor, M.A. in International Development), with Dr. Kota Takayama (Associate Professor and Director, M.A. in Social Work). The three will serve as hosts of the Deaf-Lead Disaster Action webinar. Dr. Gaurav Mathur, Dean of the Graduate School, will share remarks. 

Marcie Roth, German Parodi, and Shaylin Sluzalis from the Global Alliance for Disaster Resource Acceleration will also share remarks. 

More information is forthcoming about the second and third events!