On this page
A living community
Everything on the other pages, the language, the history, the art, the law, lives on through people who gather, organize, create, and build today. The Deaf community is global, networked, and more visible than ever.
National associations
In the United States, the National Association of the Deaf, founded in 1880, the same year as the Milan Congress, is the oldest civil-rights organization of and for Deaf people in the country. It advocates on law and policy, defends language access, and represents the community in the halls of power. Nearly every state has its own association, and countless local and identity-based groups organize community life on the ground.
A global movement
Internationally, the World Federation of the Deaf, founded in Rome in 1951, links national associations across the globe and speaks for an estimated seventy million Deaf people. It works closely with the United Nations and helped win recognition of sign languages in international human-rights law.
Mark your calendar. The United Nations recognizes September 23 as the International Day of Sign Languages, the centerpiece of the International Week of the Deaf, a worldwide celebration of signed languages and Deaf identity.
The Deaf economy
The community is also an economy. Deaf-owned businesses, restaurants, agencies, studios, shops, and services, form a network many people deliberately support, sometimes called keeping the Deaf dollar in the community. Directories and marketplaces help that network find itself and grow.
You can explore Deaf-owned businesses in DeafMonitor's Directory, shop from Deaf makers in the Shop, and find Deaf-friendly work on the Jobs board.
Media and creators
Deaf media has come into its own. Deaf-led news outlets deliver the day's headlines in sign, and a vast creator scene reaches audiences in the millions on social video. For the first time, Deaf stories are routinely told by Deaf people, in Deaf languages, at internet scale.
DeafMonitor exists to gather that world in one place: the news feed, Handspace video, the creator directory, and community perspectives.
Interpreting
Sign language interpreting is a skilled profession that sits at the boundary of the Deaf and hearing worlds. In the United States, interpreters are certified through the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, and they work everywhere effective communication is required: hospitals, courts, schools, conferences, and broadcasts. Good interpreting is invisible; the goal is direct communication between Deaf and hearing people, with the interpreter as a faithful conduit, never the center of the conversation.
Getting involved
Whether you are Deaf, hard of hearing, a family member, a learner, or an ally, the door is open. Learn a signed language from Deaf teachers. Show up to Deaf events. Support Deaf businesses and creators. Follow the issues and lend your voice when access is on the line.
The rest of DeafMonitor is built for exactly that: start with the events calendar, our advocacy coverage, or simply the latest news.