News briefs on deaf people in Ukraine
Here are four news stories on deaf people impacted by the war in Ukraine. I was able to get information from a Deaf Ukrainian-American, Arkady Belozovsky, who many know from his role as a deaf interpreter for the New York Governor’s Office.
The first — there is a video spreading on social media of a deaf Ukrainian man filming himself protesting against Russian troops with a group of other Ukrainians. Arkady said he is from the Kherson region and provided a translation of the video. Here is the video clip.
[5.2 Video Clip - Translation: You see, go away! It is a war! Now go fight! Weapons! Ukrainians? None! Yes, Russians! Go away! You see yourselves, I am a real witness. You are witnesses too! ]
That man is showing incredible bravery.
The second story is that the Ukrainian Society of the Deaf (UTOG) is providing support to deaf refugees who are fleeing cities in the eastern part of the country. Here are some photographs of refugees resting in a stopover in the cities of Uman and Ivano-Frankivsk.
[Full-Screen Images - Credit: UTOG / Arkady Belozovsky]
Arkady said some refugees continue on to the border to leave the country, but some refugees stay in Ivano-Frankivsk in hopes that things will get better with the war and they’ll be able to return to their home cities. But the Ivano-Frankivsk region has been hit with Russian bombings in recent days, so things are becoming more and more dangerous.
The third story is from a brief video interview between Angela Maria Nardolillo of Off-The-Grid Missions and Chris McKenzie, the president of a deaf non-profit and religious organization called DeafBridge that is supporting refugees who come into Romania. Chris said he’s received over 700 people who have come into their shelter and that there may be hundreds more deaf people who have passed them without needing Deaf Bridge’s help. The refugees usually stay for 12 to 24 hours before leaving for other countries. Chris said he and his volunteers have been working hard and are exhausted. He said he’s been receiving calls from many Ukrainian women with small children who are crying and saying that they can’t get out because there are soldiers everywhere and that they are shooting and killing people. Both DeafBridge and Off-The-Grid are accepting donations in support of their efforts to help refugees.
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The fourth story is that the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD) President Dr. Joseph Murray is leading a fundraising effort to support the Ukrainian Society of the Deaf (UTOG) and other WFD members in neighboring countries that are receiving deaf Ukrainian refugees. The WFD said they have received donations from WFD-affiliated organizations in Norway, Spain, and Nigeria.
Sorenson Communications announced a few days ago that they are partnering with the WFD to match donations for deaf people in Ukraine up to $50,000. Sorenson and WFD have set up a special website where donations can be matched. The website said the funds would go to the “Ukrainian Society of the Deaf to help Deaf Ukrainians who do not have access to basic supplies or communication.”
That’s the four news updates related to deaf people in Ukraine.
https://www.facebook.com/offthegridmissions/videos/1128851727876591/
https://www.facebook.com/Wfdeaf.org
https://www.sorenson.com/ukraine/
https://donorbox.org/support-to-the-rights-of-deaf-people-ukraine