We Can Do

Symposium on African Sign Languages
We Can Do The first Symposium on African Sign Languages (SAfSL) will be held in Cologne, Germany from August 17 to 19, 2009. The symposium, hosted by Dany Adone, Claudia Becker, and Thomas Kaul from the University of Cologne, is being held within a wider conference on African languages, the 6th World Congress of African Lingustics (WOCAL [...]
Language Education Tue, Jun 17 2008 hide this blog

CONFERENCE: 2nd Intl Forum of the Deaf in Morocco on Mental...
We Can Do The 2nd international Forum of the Deaf The 2nd International Forum of the Deaf in Morocco is an initiative that aims to promote: Mental Health awareness among the medical core and the deaf community of Morocco. The establishment of  a national policy to investigate the linguistic, social, mental health, and physical needs of the deaf; for [...]
Culture Mon, Jun 16 2008 hide this blog

NEWS: Sign Language Training Program Launches in Guyana
We Can Do The Guyana Ministry of Education, in partnership with the Guyana Community Based Rehabilitation Programme (GCBRP), has initiated a sign language training program targeted at improving the quality of education for deaf children, the Kaieteur News has reported. The program will provide sign language training to teachers so they can better accommodate the communicate ne...
Language Culture Mon, Jun 16 2008 hide this blog

TRAINING: New Ethiopian Sign Language & Deaf Culture...
We Can Do Press Release - Ethiopian Sign Language degree No. 1/08 The Department of Linguistics, Addis Ababa University, organized and conducted a one day consultative workshop on a Draft syllabus of a BA program in Ethiopian Sign Language (ESL) and Deaf Culture on March 14, 2008 in Addis Ababa. The purpose of the workshop is to evaluate the [...]
Higher Education Language Culture Mon, May 26 2008 hide this blog

Listserv on Deaf Studies, Sign Linguistics in Africa
We Can Do Dr Victoria Nyst at Leiden University and Shane Gilchrist ÓhEorpa at the University of Amsterdam have set up a new yahoogroups (listserv) for scholars and researchers in Deaf Studies, Sign Linguistics, and related studies in Africa. The group is open to people who have some expertise/knowledge about the Deaf Community in Africa. In order to join the [...]
Media Language Tech Culture Mon, May 12 2008 hide this blog

On-line Course in Global Health and Mental Health in Deaf...
We Can Do Global Health and Mental Health in Deaf Communities Professional Studies (PST) *Online Social Work Course * *July 7 - August 8, 2008* This 3-credit course is designed as an online course and introduces the student in the allied health and mental health professions to the global health issues and needs of the deaf and hard of hearing community. [...]
Higher Education Culture Sat, May 10 2008 hide this blog

Deaf Child Worldwide Launches Family Friendly Resource
We Can Do Deaf Child Worldwide News Release For release: Thursday 1 May 2008 Deaf Child Worldwide launches Family Friendly resource Deaf Child Worldwide, the only UK-based international development agency dedicated to enabling deaf children to overcome poverty and isolation, has launched a new action learning resource to help organisations working with deaf children and familie...
Media Culture Thu, May 01 2008 hide this blog

FUNDING: Small Grants for Projects for Deaf Children
We Can Do [En español más abajo.] The following email is being circulated by the UK-based international organization Deaf Child Worldwide (formerly known as International Deaf Child Society): Dear colleagues, If are in touch with local organisations that want to start new work with deaf children, then please forward the information below about the latest round of the Deaf Chil...
Culture Thu, Mar 20 2008 hide this blog

RESOURCE: Disability Kenya Web Site
We Can Do People with disabilities in Kenya and other interested individuals can turn to an on-line web site, Disability Kenya, to learn more about life for disabled people in Kenya. At Disability Kenya, you can find news, opinion pieces and feature articles, and sometimes information about resources. Here are just a few examples: If you are currently working [...]
Legal Culture Thu, Mar 06 2008 hide this blog

NEWS: Intl Deaf Children’s Society Becomes Deaf Child...
We Can Do What was formerly known as the International Deaf Children's Society (IDCS) has recently circulated the following notice. People who already have turned to what is now known as Deaf Child Worldwide to learn from their database of project case studies and resources will be pleased to know that their organization is continuing to become [...]
Culture Wed, Mar 05 2008 hide this blog

TRAINING: International Deaf Youth Leadership Camp
We Can Do The World Federation of the Deaf (WFD) 4th Deaf Youth Camp will be held in Jakarta, Indonesia from 22nd - 27th June 2008 and run by the Indonesian Association for the welfare of the Deaf Youth. The theme of the camp is “WE ARE ONE”. WFD Ordinary members were invited to send a delegation consisting [...]
Language Education Legal Culture Tue, Mar 04 2008 hide this blog

FORUM: Civil Society Organizations at World Bank,...
We Can Do Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), including those involved with disability issues, have an opportunity to meet with staff members at the World Bank Group (WBG) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Washington, DC, USA, April 10-13, 2008. Organizations interested in sending a representative must apply for accreditation by March 23, 2008. Each year, the World ...
Fri, Feb 22 2008 hide this blog

CONFERENCE: International Congress on Education for the...
We Can Do The 21st International Congress on Education for the Deaf (ICED) Congress will be held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada from 18 – 22 July 2010. For more information check their website at: www.iced2010.com As of this writing (mid-February, 2008), there is little information available. But more information should be added to their web site in the [...]
Culture Sun, Feb 17 2008 hide this blog

SURVEY: HIV/AIDS Among Jamaicans with Disabilities
We Can Do Graduate student Nalini Asha Reyes at San Diego State University in California, USA, is conducting a survey about HIV/AIDS among people with disability in Jamaica. Her survey is based on an earlier, similar global survey by researcher Dr. Nora Groce at Yale University. Nalini Asha Reyes is looking for people to participate in her survey. [...]
Wed, Feb 13 2008 hide this blog

REPORT: Human-Rights Approach to Education for All
We Can Do The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has released a report on a human rights based approach to making education accessible to all children, entitled A Human Rights-Based Approach to Education for All: A framework for the realization of children’s right to education and rights within education (PDF format, 812 Kb). The report discusses current [...]
Education Culture Tue, Jan 29 2008 hide this blog

CONFERENCE: Around the Deaf World
We Can Do Around the Deaf World in Two Days (It's a Small World): Sign Languages, Social Issues/Civil Rights, Creativity A conference will be held on signed languages, social issues, civil rights, and creativity within the Deaf community. The event will meet on the campus of Swarthmore College in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, USA on February 29-March 1, 2008. [...]
Language Culture Thu, Dec 20 2007 hide this blog

RESOURCE: Sri Lankan Sign Language Dictionary Published
We Can Do A new Sri Lankan Sign Language dictionary has been published with pictures of 350 different signs and short conversational phrases. Sri Lankan Sign Language has different dialects in different parts of the country. The new dictionary focuses on the dialect used at the Rohana Special School community and with deaf people across the [...]
Language Education Culture Thu, Dec 06 2007 hide this blog

TRAINING in Intl Leadership, Employment and Disability in...
We Can Do Mobility International USA (MIUSA) seeks women and men with disabilities from Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua,and Peru to apply for a 21-day leadership exchange program in March 2008, in Eugene, Oregon. The International Leadership, Employment and Disability (I-LEAD) program will focus on expanding opportunities for employment for...
Culture Wed, Dec 05 2007 hide this blog

OPINION: One Laptop per ChildBut is it Inclusive?
We Can Do The Issue Bringing laptops to children in developing countries. Its a nifty concept, meant to help with an enormous challenge: improving the quality of education in developing countries. But is it inclusive of children with disabilities? Even relatively casual observers of the international development field quickly learn that 77 million children worldwide are not i...
Education Tech Thu, Nov 15 2007 hide this blog

NEWS: World Association of Sign Language Interpreters...
We Can Do The email further below comes from the secretary of the World Association of Sign Language Interpreters (WASLI) regarding their recent conference in Spain. Some sign language interpreters from developing nations were among the participants. At the WASLI web site ( [link] you can see a daily newsletter from the conference (in English at top, [...]
Language Culture Tue, Nov 06 2007 hide this blog

CALL FOR JOURNAL CONTRIBUTIONS: Arts and Disability
We Can Do German Journal for Disability and International Development Call for contributions Issue 1/2008 â Deadline: Nov., 30th 2007 Topic: ARTS and Disability This issue of the journal is about the state and the relevance of cultural participation by arts activities in the cultural life in developing countries. Arts and culture include many different fields such as drama/thea...
Art and Storytelling Culture Thu, Nov 01 2007 hide this blog

International Day of Disabled Persons Dec 3 '07
We Can Do Each year, organizations representing disabled people use the International Day of Disabled Persons on December 3 to educate the public about disability issues and mobilize support for the dignity, rights, and well being of people with disabilities. The theme for this year is "Decent work for persons with disabilities." According to the UN Enable website o...
Tue, Oct 23 2007 hide this blog

UN Enable: Promoting the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
We Can Do The United Nations (UN) has launched a new web site, UN Enable, focused on the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). It is available at [link] The convention is intended to ensure that people with disabilities are able to enjoy human rights in the same way as everyone else. Countries that choose to sign, ratify, and then implement the co...
Legal Sun, Oct 21 2007 hide this blog

Report: 1st Africa Deaf HIV/AIDS Workshop
We Can Do No continent has been struck by HIV/AIDS more than sub-Saharan Africa: nearly two-thirds of all people living with HIV are in Africa, and so were three-quarters of those who died from AIDS in 2006 (see UNAIDS report). We also know that people with disabilities are at higher risk for becoming infected with HIV (see Nora Groce's study). And Deaf/deaf and hard of...
Education Culture Sat, Oct 20 2007 hide this blog

Disability Rights Treaty on Verge of Making History?
We Can Do The United Nations, and more than 600 million people with disabilities around the world will be watching the 25th of September, 2007, when nations gather at the 62nd session of the UN General Assembly. This day will offer an opportunity for nations to ratify any treaties that they have signed but not yet put into force–including the UN Convention for the Right...
Legal Culture Sun, Sep 23 2007 hide this blog

New Report on Disabled People in Zimbabwe
We Can Do A newly released report entitled "The forgotten tribe: People with disabilities in Zimbabwe" shares the experiences of disabled people, the discrimination they face in Zimbabwe society, and their exclusion from the usual government and civil society sources of aid. Written by Tsitsi Chorumi and published by the organization Progressio, the report presents [...]
Language Education Legal Culture Sat, Sep 15 2007 hide this blog

CONFERENCE: Sign Language Research Call for Papers
We Can Do I learned about this conference through the Intl-Dev mailing list.  This announcement was also distributed on DeafAcademics-L.  However, neither I, nor Intl-Dev nor DeafAcademics-L are involved with this conference. If you wish to learn more about this conference, then please follow the links in the announcement below.  CLSLR3 First Call for Papers The International [...]
Language Tue, Sep 11 2007 hide this blog

Ratifying and Implementing the UN Convention on the Rights...
We Can Do Human rights advocates now have two new tools to help them ensure that the rights of disabled people are better protected in countries around the world through the International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). Most readers of this blog know either through first-hand experience or through observation that even the most basic human rights [...]
Tue, Sep 11 2007 hide this blog

Channeling Remittances from Disabled Emigrants
We Can Do When we talk about fighting poverty, disease, ignorance, and hunger in developing countries–among people with disabilities or otherwise–most of the time we think of donors as being a key part of the solution. We think of local and international Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), or development banks, or bi-lateral donors (i.e., the governments of rich [...]
Culture Sun, Aug 26 2007 hide this blog

Dying for Employment
We Can Do Some people want jobs so badly they're willing to die for them. Literally. When I have had the opportunity to talk with Deaf or disabled people from developing countries, I usually seize the chance to ask what they think Deaf or disabled people in their country need the most. For a large number of them, the first word out of their mouth (or the first sign on [...]
Audism Wed, Aug 01 2007 hide this blog

Deaf Children with Additional Disabilities PART ONE
We Can Do A few years ago, I took a class on deaf children with additional disabilities at Gallaudet University. One project I did for that class was to reach out to some of my contacts in developing countries to gather what information they knew about the challenges experienced by deaf children with additional disabilities, particularly in relation to gaining access to an [...]
Education Culture Sun, Jul 29 2007 hide this blog

Welcome to the "We Can Do" Blog!
We Can Do What is this blog about? This blog is for anyone who wants to end poverty and oppression for poor disabled people in developing countries. I plan to cover a wide range of topics. Often I may simply point to a resource or web site that might be of interest to you. Other times, I might invite a "guest blogger" to write an essay about something related [...]
Audism Culture Sun, Jul 29 2007 hide this blog