Deaf Voices Counted: Dominican Republic (Spring 2026)

We're excited to be planning our next long-term research deployment, Deaf Voices Counted: Dominican Republic!

We are currently laying crucial groundwork for our upcoming deployment including:

In-depth literature reviews to establish what work has already been done in our host country
Initial contact with local stakeholders including disability organizations, government offices, and deaf associations
We begin contacting local deaf leaders on the hunt for our incredibly important Local Program Coordinators, our representatives from the local community who will guide our deployment and ensure the local perspective is both present and centered.
Logistics research: where are the largest cities, what is the currency exchange rate, where will our field offices be, what's going on in local current events and recent history that may affect our investigation

And importantly, for the purposes of this page...

Fundraising

We're already in contact with the National Association of Deaf People of the Dominican Republic (ANSORDO), who have been immensely helpful as we navigate some of the administrative processes necessary for international research (for example, IRB approval and invitations from local government and institutions). Despite strong support from the local deaf association, it will be difficult for GDRI to secure funding from government sources as disability funding is currently scarce.

GDRI has put together a comprehensive budget for DVC: Dominican Republic that takes into account the current economic situation of the country. We have set a goal of $25,000 USD to cover the GDRI contribution to this important project, which stands to be the first deaf-led national survey on deaf quality of life in the country.

Please, consider donating. Your gift will support the collection of data that will have a concrete positive impact on the lives of the deaf people in the Dominican Republic, and all over the world.

Thank you,

Dr. Lorne Farovitch

Executive Director, Global Deaf Research Institute

Who we are

The Global Deaf Research Institute is a pioneering, deaf-led research collective and 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life of deaf individuals worldwide. We perform innovative, community-based research to highlight systemic barriers impacting the health, education, and socio-economic well-being of deaf communities globally. By collecting and valorizing robust data, we will drive meaningful change and contribute to equitable, data-based policy reform, improving the lives of deaf people all over the world.

Research For Deaf People, By Deaf People

Language barriers separate deaf people around the world from the bulk of the research community. This has resulted in a lack of deaf representation in health research all over the globe, even compared to other disabled people. We believe that including the deaf perspective in the research process is not only important, it is absolutely necessary to ensure these populations are not left behind.

Our Work

Deaf Community Research: Ecuador (Sep '24 - Jan '25)

Deaf Community Research: Ecuador was the first full-length deployment for the Global Deaf Research Institute. Partnering with FENASEC (La Federación Nacional de Personas Sordas del Ecuador, the National Federation of Deaf People of Ecuador) and CONADIS (el Consejo Nacional para la Igualdad de Discapacidades) our team spent 5 months connecting with the local deaf community, strengthening relationships with local deaf organizations, and deploying the countries FIRST deaf-lead national survey on deaf people!

Over 300 deaf Ecuadorians took our survey and we performed interviews with more than 100, traveling to key population centers in Quito, Cuenca, Lago Agrio, Puyo, Guayaquil, the Galapagos, Manta, and Portoviejo. We learned about the challenges facing the disabled community here: a shortage of qualified interpreters, high rates of poverty in deaf people, and a lack of resources in the poorer neighborhoods where most disabled people live. But we were also inspired by the spirit of the deaf community here: they're resilient, courageous, welcoming, and more than anything, determined to continue fighting to improve quality of life for deaf and disabled people in their country.

Our findings have been presented before the Ministry of Public Health and the National Council for the Equality of Disabled People by President Rodolfo Minchalo of FENASEC and we are working with CONADIS to include our dataset in the compliance report they will make as part of Ecuador's obligations as a signatory of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Stay tuned for our white paper on DCR: Ecuador!

Deaf Community Research: Nigeria (Nov '23 - Jan '24)

Our pilot deployment brought us to Nigeria, where we worked closely with the Nigerian National Association for the Deaf. We surveyed over 225 deaf Nigerians across the country and demonstrated significant barriers to crucial information and government services, most notably via a widespread lack of interpreters (only 7% of deaf Nigerians surveyed reported being able to communicate with their healthcare providers) and infrastructure to support assisted hearing devices (only 3% of deaf Nigerians surveyed reported access to battery replacement or repairs).

For our full report on the pilot, ask for our white paper! You can email contact@globaldeafresearch.org

Since the conclusion of the project in March 2024, the NNAD has submitted a proposal for a National Policy on Sign Language and presented the findings of their needs assessment before the Nigerian National Commission for Persons with Disabilities, underscoring the importance of dismantling barriers to improve health and quality of life among deaf people. As continuing partners of GDRI, they reported their presentation was very well received, and that they have gained significant traction in their efforts thanks to the support of the data.

Deaf Voices Counted: Dominican Republic!

By Global Deaf Research Institute

Deaf Voices Counted: Dominican Republic!

The Global Deaf Research Institute is raising funds for our next deployment of the Deaf Community Research initiative, taking place in the Dominican Republic Summer 2025!