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Center for Democracy in Deaf America (CDDA)
EMPOWERING DISAGREEMENT, DEBATE, AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT IN DEAF AMERICA
To develop healthy democratic skills and habits in deaf people by fostering disagreement, debate and civic engagement through American Sign Language and English.
To inspire deaf and hard of hearing people to make a difference on local and national levels by developing the combination of civic knowledge, skills, cohesion, and motivation through ASL to make that difference through political and non-political processes.
To tackle serious problems facing American democracy, the country must connect people across differences by empowering disagreement, debate, and civic engagement. The time is right to invest in Democracy in Deaf America through education, practice, and culture building.
CDDA has the resources, experience, passion, and commitment to develop tools, events, programs, and partnerships through ASL and English that are designed to enable deaf people to practice democratic skills with those who look, think, or talk differently from them; and cultivate deliberative and engaged communities in Deaf America.
Deaf America refers to the unique spaces in the United States of America in which approximately one million deaf people from all races, ethnicities, religions, socioeconomic classes, and political persuasions use American Sign Language (ASL) as the primary language of communication. It has over one hundred K-12 schools and programs, and countless voluntary organizations and associations, each of which is bound together by people who share the common experience of being deaf and using sign language to communicate.
This is Deaf America.
At the same time, deaf people are among the most marginalized Americans whose ways of life are constantly under threat. Enrollment at deaf institutions and membership of deaf organizations are rapidly declining. The future of the Deaf community – Deaf America – is often said to be at a “crossroads.” Why?
As commonly portrayed in the media and academia, deaf people are deprived from access to civic spaces. And that they are insular, divided, powerless, uninformed, and apathetic.
Yet, what is unsaid is that these are not so much unique developments that threaten the well-being of deaf people and the future of “Deaf America” as worrisome trends in the country affecting the quality of life for all Americans and the health of American democracy.
Research indicates practical ways to improve the health of American democracy. In fact, Deaf America is uniquely positioned to make American democracy work.
If democracy relies on relationship-building, truth-finding, and power-sharing, the racial, lingual, cultural, and political diversity and inherent networks of Deaf America is an untapped resource. Communities and democracies that do not foster disagreement, debate, and civic engagement are more vulnerable to bigotry, orthodoxy, and autocratic leadership, and less likely to produce minority achievement, bridge differences, bring out better arguments, better ideas, and better policies to combat complex problems.
Therefore, it is fundamental that deaf Americans have the resources and opportunities to disagree, debate, and engage with people who look, think, feel, and talk differently from them. Not simply to advance their personal well-being and the health of Deaf America, but that of fellow citizens and American democracy.
Executive Director
Assistant Director
Ambassador for Disagreement
Ambassador for Civic Engagement
Executive Student Assistant
Student Assistant
GIS Liaison
Mar 25, 2024
Center for Democracy in Deaf America (CDDA) at Gallaudet University develops healthy democratic skills in our students and deaf people through fostering disagreement, debate, and...
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CDDA partners with organizations that share common goals of fostering disagreement, debate, and civic engagement for a healthier democracy. We are honored and committed to collaborating resources, activities, and skills with the following strategic partners:
National Archives Foundation
Fall 2021
Civic Debate Conference
Spring 2021
AAPD/REV UP
Fall 2022
Students Learn, Students Vote (SLSV) Coalition
Spring 2023
Teaching for Democracy Alliance
Gallaudet University, the world’s only four-year liberal arts university serving deaf and hard of hearing students, serves as the educational, social, and political engine of Deaf America. The duty of the university to foster disagreement, debate, and civic engagement is embedded in its role as a higher education institution.
Our logo of a gray hand, rapt eye, and red-striped heart is designed to be visually and metaphorically resonant for a center housed at Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C., the only liberal arts university in the world for deaf people using ASL. Effective communication across differences for deaf people is first achieved by opening our hearts and listening with our eyes, as we attempt to understand the world not in primary colors but in shades of gray. Then, we sign with our hands to be understood in our pursuit of a more perfect union.