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Inside Gallaudet - Gallaudet University
Namiraa Baljinnyam, an educator from Mongolia, has an ambitious goal: to bring linguistic freedom to the deaf children of her country. Abaye Tesfaye, who teaches in Ethiopia, has similar aspirations for his country: to unify the deaf community to advocate for its rights.
From June 28 to July 4, Baljinnyam, Tesfaye, and 12 other deaf and hard of hearing participants from around the world took a leap toward achieving their dreams. This group of community leaders, organization officers, and advocacy benefactors from Albania, Mongolia, the Netherlands, Ethiopia, Costa Rica, the Philippines, Honduras, and the United States gathered on Kendall Green for a grassroots advocacy leadership training led by the Gallaudet Leadership Institute, a unit within the College of Professional Studies and Outreach (CPSO). They came away with new tools and a network of fellow leaders—two key necessities for achieving their objectives.
“They need to take control of their destiny,” said Dr. Madan Vasishta, a faculty member in the Department of Administration and Supervision and facilitator for the program, to be successful. “To this end, they must know their rights and responsibilities. They should also feel empowered and understand that they have the ability to achieve their goals.”
With so much to cover, the program followed a busy schedule. The days and evenings included presentations by deaf leaders on advocacy, deaf rights, and empowerment. (A list of international presenters and program supporters appears at the end of this article.) Multiple sessions were devoted to information sharing by the participants—each prepared a half-hour presentation on the needs of the deaf communities in his or her home country.
“These presentations really helped us all. We learned that while some problems were specific to a country, most were common,” said Vasishta. The recurring themes included challenges around education, employment, communication, and human rights.
No training held in Washington, D.C. would be complete without sightseeing, and the participants had a chance to partake in the activity at a peak time. As the city geared up for Independence Day celebrations, the group visited the Smithsonian museums, memorials on the National Mall, the White House, and had a tour of the Gallaudet campus and Viable Communications, a successful local company owned by a Gallaudet alumnus.
The program concluded with each participant crafting an action plan for a project they would like to complete back home.
The participants saw the benefits of the program early on. “I’ve enjoyed learning about advocacy and developing coalitions,” said Tesfaye on the fourth day. He added that another great benefit of the program was learning more about the work of the World Federation of the Deaf, which partnered with Gallaudet to promote the program.
Although Tesfaye is the director of his country’s deaf association, he explained, he felt he was not learning much at home. He is considering working with a newly-established deaf program at a university in his country when he returns. He believes the knowledge gained at Gallaudet will allow him to move forward as no other experience has.
Baljinnyam, who is enrolled in Gallaudet’s English Language Institute and plans to earn a Ph.D. in education, also places a high value on the training experience. “If I want to help students, I need to educate myself,” she said. Baljinnyam is focused on equality for her country’s deaf students. “I want to work on helping children develop their native language. There is only one deaf school in Mongolia and the children do not have much chance to develop their language skills,” she explained. A firm grasp of language is important, she said, if students are to finish high school and go on to college and then to rewarding careers. Not many students see that kind of future for themselves, but Baljinnyam hopes her leadership can change that.
Each of the participants brought a similar ambition. Although not every participant had a polished vision of his or her leadership role at the beginning of the sessions, it soon became clear that they would return with greater focus on their goals and the energy to pursue them. Indeed, creating an action plan and giving each other feedback was an integral part of the training.
“When I get home, I’m not going to sit back,” Tesfaye said. “I want to teach deaf people and encourage them to come together.”
Grassroots Advocacy Training presenters and supporters:
Claudia Gordon, Esq. (presentation: “Deaf Rights and Empowerment: Let Deaf People Be Heard”), an attorney originally from Jamaica, is a senior policy advisor with the Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties within the Department of Homeland Security. She is active in numerous disability-oriented organizations, boards, and advisory groups, and frequently presents on disability policy issues.
Dr. Simon Guteng (presentation: “Disability Policy Development Process in the Plateau State of Nigeria”) is actively involved in disability advocacy. He has served in the capacity of special assistant to the executive governor of Plateau State of Nigeria on disability and policy matters, and pioneered a disability law in Plateau State. Dr. Guteng was instrumental in organizing the training and providing sponsorship from the Gallaudet Leadership Institute and Professional Studies division of CPSO, which he directs. Guteng is also an associate professor of education at Gallaudet.
Dr. Joseph Innes is dean of the College of Professional Studies and Outreach, and provided overall support for the program.
Gary Malkowski (presentation: “Advocacy in Canada”), born and raised in Canada, was the first elected deaf politician in the world, serving as minister of provincial parliament for the York East region of Ontario. He has worked provincially and nationally on issues of human rights, anti-discrimination, and deaf and disability advocacy. Malkowsi is currently special advisor to the president for public affairs at The Canadian Hearing Society.
Dr. Joseph Murray (presentation: “Leadership in the International Organizations Serving Deaf and Hard of Hearing People”) spent much of his life in the U.S., but lived for ten years in Norway and other Western European countries. Dr. Murray’s research focuses on transnationalism, exploring how extra-national ideas shape locally-lived lives. He is currently an assistant professor in the Department of American Sign Language and Deaf Studies.
Kevin Nolan (workshops on consumer, family and community advocacy), from the United States, has worked in the field of advocacy and leadership on the state, national, and international levels. He is outreach and support services coordinator for Children’s Hospital Boston, chair of the Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing’s Statewide Advisory Committee, and vice-president of the board of D.E.A.F., Inc.
Dr. Madan Vasishta (“United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities /Advocacy”), a native of India, spent more than 30 years as an administrator at schools for deaf students and has published widely on deaf education and his experience growing up deaf in Delhi. Vasishta now divides his time between the U.S. and his home country, working as a writer, educator, and consultant.
Namiraa Baljinnyam, an educator from Mongolia, has an ambitious goal: to bring linguistic freedom to the deaf children of her country. Abaye Tesfaye, who teaches in Ethiopia, has similar aspirations for his country: to unify the deaf community to advocate for its rights.
From June 28 to July 4, Baljinnyam, Tesfaye, and 12 other deaf and hard of hearing participants from around the world took a leap toward achieving their dreams. This group of community leaders, organization officers, and advocacy benefactors from Albania, Mongolia, the Netherlands, Ethiopia, Costa Rica, the Philippines, Honduras, and the United States gathered on Kendall Green for a grassroots advocacy leadership training led by the Gallaudet Leadership Institute, a unit within the College of Professional Studies and Outreach (CPSO). They came away with new tools and a network of fellow leaders—two key necessities for achieving their objectives.
“They need to take control of their destiny,” said Dr. Madan Vasishta, a faculty member in the Department of Administration and Supervision and facilitator for the program, to be successful. “To this end, they must know their rights and responsibilities. They should also feel empowered and understand that they have the ability to achieve their goals.”
With so much to cover, the program followed a busy schedule. The days and evenings included presentations by deaf leaders on advocacy, deaf rights, and empowerment. (A list of international presenters and program supporters appears at the end of this article.) Multiple sessions were devoted to information sharing by the participants—each prepared a half-hour presentation on the needs of the deaf communities in his or her home country.
“These presentations really helped us all. We learned that while some problems were specific to a country, most were common,” said Vasishta. The recurring themes included challenges around education, employment, communication, and human rights.
No training held in Washington, D.C. would be complete without sightseeing, and the participants had a chance to partake in the activity at a peak time. As the city geared up for Independence Day celebrations, the group visited the Smithsonian museums, memorials on the National Mall, the White House, and had a tour of the Gallaudet campus and Viable Communications, a successful local company owned by a Gallaudet alumnus.
The program concluded with each participant crafting an action plan for a project they would like to complete back home.
The participants saw the benefits of the program early on. “I’ve enjoyed learning about advocacy and developing coalitions,” said Tesfaye on the fourth day. He added that another great benefit of the program was learning more about the work of the World Federation of the Deaf, which partnered with Gallaudet to promote the program.
Although Tesfaye is the director of his country’s deaf association, he explained, he felt he was not learning much at home. He is considering working with a newly-established deaf program at a university in his country when he returns. He believes the knowledge gained at Gallaudet will allow him to move forward as no other experience has.
Baljinnyam, who is enrolled in Gallaudet’s English Language Institute and plans to earn a Ph.D. in education, also places a high value on the training experience. “If I want to help students, I need to educate myself,” she said. Baljinnyam is focused on equality for her country’s deaf students. “I want to work on helping children develop their native language. There is only one deaf school in Mongolia and the children do not have much chance to develop their language skills,” she explained. A firm grasp of language is important, she said, if students are to finish high school and go on to college and then to rewarding careers. Not many students see that kind of future for themselves, but Baljinnyam hopes her leadership can change that.
Each of the participants brought a similar ambition. Although not every participant had a polished vision of his or her leadership role at the beginning of the sessions, it soon became clear that they would return with greater focus on their goals and the energy to pursue them. Indeed, creating an action plan and giving each other feedback was an integral part of the training.
“When I get home, I’m not going to sit back,” Tesfaye said. “I want to teach deaf people and encourage them to come together.”
Grassroots Advocacy Training presenters and supporters:
Claudia Gordon, Esq. (presentation: “Deaf Rights and Empowerment: Let Deaf People Be Heard”), an attorney originally from Jamaica, is a senior policy advisor with the Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties within the Department of Homeland Security. She is active in numerous disability-oriented organizations, boards, and advisory groups, and frequently presents on disability policy issues.
Dr. Simon Guteng (presentation: “Disability Policy Development Process in the Plateau State of Nigeria”) is actively involved in disability advocacy. He has served in the capacity of special assistant to the executive governor of Plateau State of Nigeria on disability and policy matters, and pioneered a disability law in Plateau State. Dr. Guteng was instrumental in organizing the training and providing sponsorship from the Gallaudet Leadership Institute and Professional Studies division of CPSO, which he directs. Guteng is also an associate professor of education at Gallaudet.
Dr. Joseph Innes is dean of the College of Professional Studies and Outreach, and provided overall support for the program.
Gary Malkowski (presentation: “Advocacy in Canada”), born and raised in Canada, was the first elected deaf politician in the world, serving as minister of provincial parliament for the York East region of Ontario. He has worked provincially and nationally on issues of human rights, anti-discrimination, and deaf and disability advocacy. Malkowsi is currently special advisor to the president for public affairs at The Canadian Hearing Society.
Dr. Joseph Murray (presentation: “Leadership in the International Organizations Serving Deaf and Hard of Hearing People”) spent much of his life in the U.S., but lived for ten years in Norway and other Western European countries. Dr. Murray’s research focuses on transnationalism, exploring how extra-national ideas shape locally-lived lives. He is currently an assistant professor in the Department of American Sign Language and Deaf Studies.
Kevin Nolan (workshops on consumer, family and community advocacy), from the United States, has worked in the field of advocacy and leadership on the state, national, and international levels. He is outreach and support services coordinator for Children’s Hospital Boston, chair of the Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing’s Statewide Advisory Committee, and vice-president of the board of D.E.A.F., Inc.
Dr. Madan Vasishta (“United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities /Advocacy”), a native of India, spent more than 30 years as an administrator at schools for deaf students and has published widely on deaf education and his experience growing up deaf in Delhi. Vasishta now divides his time between the U.S. and his home country, working as a writer, educator, and consultant.