Minor in Global Leadership in Deaf-Centered DiDRR and Emergency Planning

The Global Leadership in Deaf-Centered Disability Inclusive DRR & Emergency Planning is an 18-credit graduate certificate program/undergraduate minor track developed to train professionals in Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and Emergency Planning (EP) principles and tools. The world’s first program to train professionals in deaf-centered disaster and emergency planning activities, program components emphasize direct community engagement to support capacity-building of communities’ own mitigation and resilience planning, resource development, advocacy, and other relevant skill-sets. Taught by an interdisciplinary faculty from Gallaudet University’s IDMA, Information Technology, Interpreting and Translation, Public Administration, Public Health, and Social Work programs, the program trains professionals to work in the growing fields of disaster and emergency management, especially those who want to contribute to community participatory approaches to understanding and planning for deaf community adaptation and resilience. The certificate program/minor track also emphasizes building DRR and EP activities from local community leadership, centering local cultures and languages in all aspects of DRR and EP design, planning, monitoring and evaluation, research, and advocacy. The program curriculum foregrounds biocultural and linguistic diversity in sustaining community safety and well-being, as demonstrated through content centered on information and communication prepared in local languages, community participatory needs assessment, community-centered project design and program development, policy formulation that advances intersectional cultural and linguistic rights, and intercultural/interlingual advocacy with government and non-governmental agencies and organizations.

To enroll in the undergraduate minor track, students must: 1) have a cumulative GPA of 2.8 or above; 2) be in or approaching the junior or senior year; 3) have completed at least 18 credits of introductory courses from the list of pre-approved STAMP and Social Work courses; 4) meet with their academic advisor and the certificate program administrator to develop a study plan.

All certificate program/minor track students will pay a fee of $1000 to cover travel, room, and board for the Summer Institute, coordinated by Education Abroad in a country where disaster planning activities are taking place.

Admissions Requirements

Undergraduate students interested in pursuing a minor track in Disaster and Emergency Planning within their undergraduate Public Health, Social Work or other undergraduate degree program, must demonstrate evidence of:

• Current enrollment in a Gallaudet undergraduate program.
• Cumulative undergraduate GPA of 2.8 or above
• Complete 18 credits of prerequisite courses from the list below and earn a “C” or better:
  • BIO-105 Human Biology
  • BIO-241 Ecology
  • PHI-450 Bioethics and the Deaf Community
  • PHS-202 Foundations of Environmental Health
  • PHS-203 Introduction to Personal and Community Health
  • PHS-204 Foundations in Global Health
  • SWK-203 Introduction to Social Work
  • SWK-304 Social Welfare Policy
  • SWK-307 Human Behavior and the Social Environment in Micro
  • SWK-308 Human Behavior and the Social Environment in Macro
  • SWK-318 Human Diversity
  • SWK-337 Case Management

Undergraduate students are encouraged to meet with their academic advisor in their home program and the IDMA program director as early as possible to determine eligibility for the minor track.

To declare the DEP minor, interested students should:

• Contact their Academic & Career Success Advisor (for undeclared students) or their Faculty Advisor (for declared students) and confirm readiness to declare the minor.
• Contact the DEP program at dep@gallaudet.edu to discuss the minor track application process, which includes the following:
  • A one-page written essay and a video in ASL responding to admission questions indicating the reason for your interest in pursuing a minor focused on Deaf leadership in Disaster Risk Reduction & Emergency Planning.
  • Copy of unofficial transcript.
  • One letter of recommendation.
  • Interview with DEP faculty.
  • Demonstrated proficiency in American Sign Language and English (via personal statement, ASL video, and interview).

Technology requirements and Computer Requirements/skills: A Mac or PC computer with access to the internet capable of running a most recent and updated web browser is necessary for participation in our online courses. The minimum operating system is Windows XP or higher for PC and MacOS 10.5 or higher for Mac. See Online Computer Requirements for more detailed information. Students are responsible for obtaining their own Internet access and are expected to have basic computer and internet literacy prior to the start of the course, including use of email, word processing programs, presentation programs (such as PowerPoint), and the internet to search.