Diverse Deaf Leaders: Deaf Immigrant and/or Refugee Leaders

Check out these local organizations:

• Deaf New Americans (Syracuse)

  • Monu Chhetri, Tamla Htoo, Jay Regmi, Shamati Suhang

• Deaf Refugee Advocacy (Rochester, NY)

  •  Diana Pryntz, Karen Christie, Andrew Duncan, Deborah O'Willow, Hamid Yussif

Other organizations:

• Deaf Community Action Network (CAN) [Lancaster, PA]

  •  Bill Lockard 

• Deaf International Refugee Center

  • Rev Dr. Debbie Bucholz, Allen Bucholz, Bill Ainsley, Wendy Olinger, Wendy Olinger, Dathan Verzani, Josh Wagner

Some leaders in the field from the Syracuse conference

Diu Nyuon: "The Challenges of Deaf Refugees in Eastern Africa"
Donghoo Sohn: "Starting an Advocacy Organization"
Monu Chhetri, Michael Schwartz, Zenna Preli & Dr. Elder: "Falling Through the Cracks: Deaf New Americans and Their Unsupported Educational Needs"
Andrea Shaw, MD & Ayan Mohamed, PA & Rebecca Garden, PhD: "Refugee Health & Healthcare"
Tai Ngo Shaw: "Diversity"
Chelsea Stinson: "Critical Aspirations: Disability, Education and Community Cultural Wealth in a Sanctuary City"
Kedar Prasad Adhikari & Dinesh Shrestha: "Refugees in Nepal, Situations and Challenges"
Shana Gibbs: "Why is REPRESENTATION important?"
Lindsay Ryan & Holly Lehman: "Being Trauma-Informed"
Chol Majok: "Civic Engagement and Participation"
Maggie Russell & Kelley Cooper: “'Advocacy' A Systematic Approach"
Tamla Htoo: "Advocating for Equal Access"
Rebecca Dadey: "Allyship to Empower Deaf New Americans"
Catherine Holmes: "Immigration and Citizenship: Assisting in the Processes from Refugee Resettlement to a US Citizenship"
Bhawani Dangal and Chandra Tamang: "Rice = Home"
Shamati Suhang & Durga Bhattrai: "Working with Health Care Providers: Self-Advocacy, Access and Empowerment"

The Second World Deaf Refugee Day
The Second World Deaf Refugee Day Conference on June 22-24, 2023, in Rochester, New York. Deaf refugees and immigrants from over 20 countries led most presentations and entertainment.