From:https://www.dfa.gov.ph/newsroom/news-from-our-foreign-service-postsupdate/13461-signs-of-change-makes-successful-debut-in-washington-d-c-2 dated July 27, 2017
From left: Founder of High Bridge Foundation Inc. and renowned community leader Mencie Hairston; Discovering Deaf Worlds President Shane Feldman; Embassy Public Diplomacy Officer Darell Artates; Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Pauline Spanbauer; Deaf community advocate Shilpa Hanumantha and; Discovering Deaf Worlds Program Director History Estill-Varner at the film screening of Signs of Change: Deaf Filipinos’ Campaign for Equality at the Romulo Hall of the Philippine Embassy on 20 July 2017.
27 July 2017 WASHINGTON, D.C. – As part of the Philippine observance of the 39th National Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation (NDPR) Week, the Philippine Embassy in cooperation with Discovering Deaf Worlds, Inc. (DDW) hosted a free screening of the documentary, Signs of Change: Deaf Filipinos’ Campaign for Equality at the Romulo Hall of the Philippine Embassy in the evening of July 20.
More than 80 guests, majority of whom came from the deaf and hearing communities in the Metro DC area, attended the film screening.
Signs of Change is a film made by Manila-based documentary film maker Mirana Medina that tells the story of 10 members of the Philippine Federation of the Deaf (PFD) and their journey of personal and organizational growth through a capacity building program administered by DDW and funded by the USAID/Philippines from 2013 to 2016.
Vice Consul Darell Artates opened the event by briefly sharing the activities of the Embassy and initiatives of the Philippine Government in line with NDPR week.
“We have vowed to be advocates, to be part of the solution, and to be part in making sure that our fellow Filipinos who are persons with disabilities (PWDs) are integrated into the mainstream society and included in our social development,” said Ms. Artates.
“The Philippine Government established a framework that helps promote the inclusion and empowerment of PWDs, not just the deaf community but all sectors that are covered by the PWD group,” she further added.
Prior to the screening, Mrs. Mencie Hairston, founder of High Bridge Foundation, Inc. and renowned community advocate, gave a background of the documentary film by providing a brief history of the Filipino deaf community and updates in their progress.
“In 2012, Discovering Deaf Worlds (DDW) and the Philippine Federation of the Deaf (PFD) established a partnership with the intention of strengthening PFD through organizational development,” introduced Mrs. Hairston.
An engaging panel discussion followed the screening of the documentary.
Those who led the panel were advocates from the deaf community, including DDW President Shane Feldman, first deaf Peace Corps Volunteer serving the Philippines Pauline Spanbauer, and deaf community advocate Shilpa Hanumantha. Mrs. Hairston moderated the discussion.
Panelists highlighted the positive impact of the program in the Philippines, particularly in empowering and inspiring the Filipino deaf communities to build on and expand what DDW started.
The brief Q&A touched on the livelihood programs and trainings for the deaf community, how DDW embeds local cultures in program development, resources allocated by the Philippine Government to similar advocacies, and potential contributions of the U.S. government agencies to connecting deaf communities all over the world to the American deaf community, and the next steps for DDW.
DDW provided two professional sign language interpreters for the panel discussion.
For more information, visit http://www.washingtonpe.dfa.gov.ph / http://www.philippineembassy-usa.org or https://www.facebook.com/philippinesusa @philippinesusa on Twitter.
Panelists engage in a brief discussion and Q&A portion with the audience.
[Source of other photos:http://www.philippineembassy-usa.org/news/5687/300/SIGNS-OF-CHANGE-MAKES-SUCCESSFUL-DEBUT-IN-WASHINGTON-D-C/d,phildet/%5D
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