DEAFBLIND CITIZENS IN ACTION (DBCA)

GUEST SPEAKER: EDUARDO MADERA

DEAFBLIND TRANSITION INSTITUTE (DBTI)

PRODUCED BY DBCA

TABLE OF CONTENTS• What We Do?• Vision Statements• Short History• HKNC Program (Cohort 1, Cohort 2, and Cohort 3)• Future Leaders• Emerging Deafblind Nonprofit Organization 501©3• Why the issues matter• Leadership Development Module (LDM)• Who Would Like to Make a Difference with Us?

WHAT WE DO?

• As a national consumer organization driven by a quest for a more inclusive world, we primarily focus on advocacy and education.

• Our organization not only emerged from a unique leadership development program that enabled participants to develop and practice advocacy skills in DC, but also we recognize the need to improve the quality of life for deafblind people through social action.

• As individuals with lived experiences in the DB community, education is critical to the advancement of one of the most underserved communities.

WHAT WE DO? CON’T

• Because the challenges of the community is not well understood within the policy and business arenas, we devise ways to educate and engage. But our educational program is not limited to policymakers or the public, as we strive to empower young people with the knowledge and tools that allow them to contribute meaningfully to their local communities and society at large.

VISION STATEMENT

• At DBCA, we firmly believe every child, woman and man has a right to life, dignity, and the pursuit of happiness anywhere in the global human community and regardless of their abilities. Many communities within the larger society have little or no voice. Therefore, DBCA strives for a better world that embraces every human being. Societies are strongest when every community has a voice and can contribute to maintain a society’s prosperity.

SHORT HISTORY

• Dr. Amy Parker and Suzzane Ressa envisioned a summer leadership development couse based in D.C.

• Supported by several organizations and a team of dedicated volunteers

HKNC: COHORT 1

• Dr. Parker and Ms. Ressa recruited six participants in June 2009 for the first leadership development course known as “Participating in the Policy Process.” Emboldened by a successful first course that involved interacting with national policymakers and learning about the legislative and regulatory processes, the newly selected participants quickly embraced the program’s mission and called it “DeafBlind Young Adults in Action” (DBYAA).

HKNC: COHORT 2

HKNC: COHORT 3

FUTURE LEADERS

FUTURE LEADERS

EMERGING DEAFBLIND NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION

VIDEO

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhZBEtN9CkI

WHY THE ISSUES MATTER

• Our work has the potential to positively impact everyone, including: disabled veterans and the aging population.

• While we are committed to the advancement of all people with disabilities, the deafblind community is among the most neglected disability groups with many unique challenges that we are striving to meet.

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT MODULE (LDM)

• DBYAA is a 2-part leadership program.

• The first and main component involves future young leaders meeting face-to-face in Washington, D.C., where they discover about the policymaking process; practice leadership skills by engaging representatives of federal agencies, Members of Congress, and other national and international organizations.

• The second part is the Leadership Development Module (LDM), an online learning tool developed by DBCA in partnership with the National Center on Deaf-Blindness and based on Moodle. LDM is an integral part of the overall leadership program, enabling future young leaders, instructors and partner institutions to better learn and teach about participatory leadership. Having an online component also significantly reduces planning time and ensures that participants do not feel overwhelmed but instead feel prepared and empowered. In addition, LDM serves as a reservoir of information related to the program, including what program graduates have accomplished, and civic engagement in general.

WHO WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE WITH US?

THANK YOU!

REFERENCE:

• http://dbcitizens.org

EDUARDO MADERA’S CONTACT

• Eduardo A. Madera, Secretary of DBCA• Please note that my middle initial, “a” is included in my email address.• eduardoamadera@gmail.com