The Theme: From Experience to Credentials

The conference title was “From Experience to Credentials.” According to the conference website, the theme focused on bridging lived experience and academic credentialing in sign language interpreter education, with attention to professionalization, certification, and Deaf inclusion.

Who It Was For

The conference was aimed at a broad audience: academics, interpreter educators, Deaf community leaders, policymakers, professional associations, and practitioners. Bringing those groups together matters, because decisions about interpreter standards affect Deaf people directly.

The Details

The event was set for September 2026 in Zagreb, Croatia, and it was organized by efsli. The conference website listed early bird tickets and a call for papers, and noted that the event is funded by the European Union. The conference’s own pages are the place to look for the final program and materials.

Why Interpreter Credentials Matter

Many interpreters around the world entered the profession through experience, such as growing up with Deaf family members or working in the community, rather than through formal programs. As countries introduce certification systems, there is a real conversation about how to recognize that experience while raising standards. Including Deaf people in those decisions, as a core part of the process, is a central concern of the Deaf community.

A Link to International Sign

International events depend on International Sign interpreters, and organizations such as WASLI and efsli help shape how that work is trained and recognized. Conferences like this one are where those standards are debated.

The Takeaway

The efsli Zagreb conference is a reminder that quality interpreting does not happen by accident. It comes from training, credentials, and a partnership with the Deaf community.

Interested in International Sign or the global Deaf community? Follow OneDeafWorld.com for more coverage of IS, accessible technology, and events from around the world.

The post From Experience to Credentials: efsli’s Zagreb 2026 Conference first appeared on One Deaf World.

What Is The Daily Moth?

The Daily Moth is a news program delivered in ASL, covering trending stories and Deaf-related topics. New shows are posted Monday through Friday, and viewers can watch on YouTube, Facebook, and the website, or sign up by email to be notified of new episodes.

The Host

The program is hosted by Alex Abenchuchan, a Gallaudet University alumnus with a degree in Religious Studies, who also attended the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind. Over time the Daily Moth team has grown to include additional anchors, and it has worked on adding captions to its videos so that more viewers can follow along.

Why Deaf-Led Media Matters

Mainstream news often reaches Deaf audiences through captions or an interpreter in a corner of the screen. A Deaf-led news show changes that:

• Language access first, with news delivered natively in sign
• Deaf perspectives on stories that affect the community, from education to technology to rights
• Community connection, since viewers see themselves reflected on screen
• Role models for young Deaf people interested in journalism and media

A Resource Worth Following

The Daily Moth is also listed among the resources for following Deaf news and culture around the world, alongside other Deaf-led media and organizations. If you work in media or communications, it is a useful example of how a small team can serve a global audience through video.

The Takeaway

Access is more than captions. The Daily Moth shows what it looks like when news is made by and for the Deaf community, and it is easy to follow along for free.

Interested in International Sign or the global Deaf community? Follow OneDeafWorld.com for more coverage of IS, accessible technology, and events from around the world.

The post The Daily Moth: Deaf News in ASL, Five Days a Week first appeared on One Deaf World.

The Tournament

The championship took place in Poreč, on Croatia’s Istrian coast, in March 2026. The European Deaf Sport Organisation (EDSO) lists it among its continental championships, which cover many Deaf sports.

Croatia Takes Bronze

Croatia beat Turkey 6 to 2 in the third-place match, after leading 2 to 1 at halftime. Anton Lalic and Mirko Vukic each scored twice, with Mario Jakovljevic and Josip Jakovljevic adding one apiece. Fatih Kaya and Serif Memet replied for Turkey.

A Significant Step Forward

The result is Croatia’s second medal in Deaf futsal. The team previously won gold in 2002, so the bronze, achieved on home soil, was described by the Croatian Football Federation as a significant step forward for the sport’s development in the country.

Why Futsal Fits Deaf Sport

Futsal is fast, tactical, and highly visual, which makes it a natural fit for Deaf athletes. Teams rely on sign, gestures, and eye contact to coordinate, and referees use visual signals alongside the whistle. Futsal also made its Deaflympics debut at the previous Winter Deaflympics in Erzurum, Turkey, and it is on the program again for Innsbruck in January 2027, which raises the profile of every continental championship along the way.

The Takeaway

Championships like this one are where national teams build momentum, young players get noticed, and communities rally around their athletes. Keep an eye on EDSO and national Deaf sports federations for the next round of fixtures.

Interested in International Sign or the global Deaf community? Follow OneDeafWorld.com for more coverage of IS, accessible technology, and events from around the world.

The post Croatia’s Historic Bronze at the European Deaf Futsal Championship first appeared on One Deaf World.

What Is Spread the Sign?

Spread the Sign is a free dictionary available as a website and as an app. Users type in a word or sentence and watch the matching signs in video form. The project began in 2006 and was founded by Thomas Lydell. It is managed by the European Sign Language Centre, a non-governmental organization based in Orebro, Sweden.

The Numbers

According to its Wikipedia entry, the dictionary now covers 34 sign languages and more than 610,000 signed videos, alongside about 36 written languages. The collection keeps growing, and adding videos and languages is ongoing work.

How It Is Funded and Built

Spread the Sign is financed through funds from various projects and is largely supported by public institutions, public funding, and partnerships with universities and academics. Volunteers carry much of the workload, and the organization has only two employees. That is a small team for a resource this big.

Who Benefits

• Deaf travelers and students who want to compare signs between countries
• Interpreters and teachers looking up vocabulary in another sign language
• Families and learners picking up their first signs
• Researchers studying how different sign languages express the same idea

A Note on International Sign

It is important to know that Spread the Sign is not International Sign. It is a dictionary of many separate national sign languages, shown side by side. International Sign (IS) is a different thing: a contact form of signing used at international events. Still, tools like Spread the Sign help Deaf people discover how signing differs and overlaps across countries, which is exactly the kind of awareness that makes cross-border communication easier.

The Takeaway

Spread the Sign is a free, volunteer-powered resource that makes the diversity of the world’s sign languages easy to explore. If you are learning, teaching, or simply curious, it is well worth bookmarking.

Interested in International Sign or the global Deaf community? Follow OneDeafWorld.com for more coverage of IS, accessible technology, and events from around the world.

The post Spread the Sign: The Free Dictionary Covering 34 Sign Languages first appeared on One Deaf World.

The Event at a Glance

The 15th World Deaf Golf Championships ran from August 7 to 15, 2026, at Barsebäck Resort in Sweden. The competition brings together the world’s best Deaf golfers, and the official event site is wdgc2026.com. The published results include round-by-round scores for the Women’s, Men’s, and Senior divisions, along with a final results document.

Teams on the Course

National teams from around the world prepare for this championship, and Canada is one example. The Canadian Deaf Sports Association shared that Team Canada Golf was preparing to compete, with its roster published in a linked document. Championships like this depend on national Deaf sports federations to organize selection, travel, and support.

Why Deaf Golf Is Interesting

Golf may look like a quiet sport, but communication still matters. Players, caddies, and officials at a Deaf championship rely on sign language, gestures, and written information, and at international events that often means a mix of national sign languages plus International Sign. Rules briefings, schedules, and award ceremonies all need to be accessible to everyone.

Part of a Bigger Calendar

The championship sits within a busy international Deaf sports calendar overseen by the International Committee of Sports for the Deaf (ICSD). Alongside the Deaflympics, world and continental championships in sports from futsal to karate to curling give Deaf athletes regular chances to compete at the highest level.

The Takeaway

The World Deaf Golf Championships may not get the same attention as larger events, but it shows how wide the world of Deaf sport really is. For fans who want to follow the next edition, the ICSD championship pages and national Deaf sports organizations are the best places to start.

Interested in International Sign or the global Deaf community? Follow OneDeafWorld.com for more coverage of IS, accessible technology, and events from around the world.

The post Teeing Off in Sweden: The 15th World Deaf Golf Championships first appeared on One Deaf World.

How StorySign Works

Launched on December 3, 2018, StorySign is an Android app that uses image recognition and optical character recognition (OCR) to read the text on a book page. A friendly animated avatar named Star then signs the words in real time as pages are turned. Image recognition helps the app cope with awkward camera angles, and OCR improves its accuracy.

Who Was Behind It

StorySign was a collaboration between Huawei, the European Union of the Deaf, Penguin, and Aardman, the animation studio. The involvement of the European Union of the Deaf is important, because it connects the project to real Deaf community input.

Languages and Availability

At launch the app was available on Google Play and Huawei’s AppGallery in 10 European markets. It supported several sign language variants, including British, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Dutch, Portuguese, Irish, Belgian Flemish, and Swiss-German. It officially supported Android 6.0 and later and was optimized for Huawei phones with AI hardware, such as the Mate 20 Pro.

The Limits at Launch

It is worth being honest about the early limitations. At launch, StorySign supported just one book, Where’s Spot? by Eric Hill, and users needed a physical copy of it. One reviewer felt the app launched prematurely. More books were planned to be added one at a time, so it is best to check the current state of the app before recommending it to families.

What It Tells Us About Sign Language Technology

StorySign is an early example of technology aimed at sign language access, and it raises questions that remain open today. Who should be involved in building signing avatars? How natural can an avatar look and feel? And how do we make sure Deaf children learn from rich, human signing as well as apps? Many in the Deaf community argue that avatars should support, not replace, Deaf teachers, interpreters, and parents signing with their children.

The Takeaway

StorySign shows both the promise and the limits of sign language technology. It is a creative idea that made story time more accessible, and it is a useful case study for anyone following Deaf technology and early literacy.

Interested in International Sign or the global Deaf community? Follow OneDeafWorld.com for more coverage of IS, accessible technology, and events from around the world.

The post StorySign: The App That Brings Children’s Books to Life in Sign first appeared on One Deaf World.

A Festival Run by and for the Deaf Community

Deaffest supports emerging and established Deaf filmmakers and artists from the UK and abroad. It runs under Zebra Access CIO, and its co-founder is Marilyn Willrich. The festival held its first edition in 2006 and marked its 15th anniversary in 2024, a long run for a community-led arts event. It was also a finalist for the National Lottery Awards in 2022.

What Happens at Deaffest

The 2024 edition took place May 10 to 12 in Wolverhampton, with events at the University of Wolverhampton’s Arena Theatre, City Campus, and The Halls. The program showed how much a Deaf-led festival can offer:

• Subtitled film screenings from filmmakers around the world
• Art and photography exhibitions
• Panel discussions and workshops
• A stalls fair and live performances
• The Film and TV Awards Gala, in its ninth year in 2024
• A late-night party, because every good festival needs one

The 2024 theme explored different forms of music, a fitting topic for a festival that proves Deaf people have always been part of music and performance culture.

A Truly International Reach

Since its first edition, Deaffest has screened nearly 420 films from 36 countries. That international footprint matters. Deaf filmmakers in different countries often work in different national sign languages, and festivals like this give them a place to share stories, find collaborators, and reach audiences beyond their borders.

Why Deaf-Led Festivals Matter

Representation on screen is improving, but access behind the camera still lags. Festivals led by Deaf organizers put Deaf creators at the center, rather than treating them as a special category. They also show hearing audiences that Deaf art stands on its own terms.

The Takeaway

Deaffest is a reminder that the global Deaf arts scene is rich, creative, and growing. If you are a filmmaker, an artist, or simply a fan of great storytelling, check the festival’s website for upcoming dates and submission details.

Interested in International Sign or the global Deaf community? Follow OneDeafWorld.com for more coverage of IS, accessible technology, and events from around the world.

The post Deaffest: Inside the UK’s Leading Deaf-Led Film Festival first appeared on One Deaf World.

What Is Deaf Festival Sydney?

The 2026 festival took place on Saturday, August 29, from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm at Cathy Freeman Park in Sydney Olympic Park. It was a free event, with tickets reserved in advance, and it centered on Deaf culture, with performances by Deaf artists and stalls from Deaf businesses and service providers.

Why Community Festivals Matter

Festivals like this do things that conferences cannot:

• Make Deaf culture visible to the wider public, including hearing families and allies
• Support Deaf-owned businesses by giving them a stage and a customer base
• Give Deaf artists an audience that understands their language and humor
• Welcome newcomers, including parents of Deaf children and people learning Auslan, Australia’s national sign language

Connecting to the Global Picture

Australia’s Deaf community is closely linked to the wider world through sport, arts, and advocacy. Gatherings such as Deaf Festival Sydney sit alongside the big international events, from the Deaflympics to WFD congresses, as part of the same ecosystem. At the local level they build the pride and community connection that make international events possible.

How to Find the Next One

Organizers and local Deaf organizations share event details through their websites and newsletters. Deaf Connect’s Deaf Herald, for example, publishes updates on festivals and community happenings, and event listings are posted through ticketing sites. If you are planning a trip to Australia, check those channels ahead of time, and look for Auslan interpretation and accessibility information when booking.

The Takeaway

A free, Deaf-led festival is a simple idea with a big impact. Whether you live in Sydney or are following from the other side of the world, it is a reminder that Deaf culture thrives in everyday community spaces, not just on international stages.

Interested in International Sign or the global Deaf community? Follow OneDeafWorld.com for more coverage of IS, accessible technology, and events from around the world.

The post Deaf Festival Sydney: A Free Day of Deaf Culture and Auslan first appeared on One Deaf World.

From La Balme-les-Grottes to Paris

Clerc was born on December 26, 1785, in La Balme-les-Grottes, France. At about age 12 he entered the national school for Deaf youth in Paris, where his teachers included Abbé Sicard and Jean Massieu. He later became a teacher at the school himself, which is where his path began to cross with an American visitor.

A Meeting That Changed History

In 1815, Clerc traveled to Britain with Sicard and Massieu and met Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet, who was looking for ways to educate Deaf children in the United States. The following year, Gallaudet invited Clerc to come to America.

Language Lessons at Sea

During the voyage in 1816, the two men taught each other. Clerc taught Gallaudet French Sign Language, and Gallaudet taught Clerc English. It is a lovely detail: a floating classroom that helped lay groundwork for the Deaf education system in the United States.

The First School in America

On April 15, 1817, Clerc and Gallaudet founded the Asylum for the Education and Instruction of the Deaf and Dumb in Hartford, Connecticut. Today it is the American School for the Deaf, the oldest existing school for Deaf students in North America.

A Language Takes Shape

At the Hartford school, French Sign Language met the home signs and local signing that students brought with them, including signing from communities such as Martha’s Vineyard. Over time that mixture grew into American Sign Language. Clerc, who died on July 18, 1869, is often called “The Apostle of the Deaf in America,” and his name lives on in awards, buildings, and funds at Gallaudet University.

Why It Matters Today

Clerc’s story is a reminder that sign languages travel with people and change as Deaf communities meet. It is the same pattern we see today whenever Deaf people from different countries come together and build shared ways to communicate, including International Sign.

The Takeaway

Laurent Clerc was a teacher, a bridge between two countries, and a pioneer of Deaf education. Remembering his work helps us understand where ASL, and much of modern Deaf culture in North America, comes from.

Interested in International Sign or the global Deaf community? Follow OneDeafWorld.com for more coverage of IS, accessible technology, and events from around the world.

The post Laurent Clerc: The Deaf Teacher Who Helped Shape ASL first appeared on One Deaf World.

1. It Is a First for the MENA Region

This will be the first time the WFD Congress is held in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. For a movement that has always aimed to be global, that is a meaningful step, and it puts Deaf communities in the Arab world in the spotlight.

2. A Large International Crowd Is Expected

Organizers expect more than 2,000 Deaf participants from around 125 countries, along with experts and industry leaders. A crowd that diverse cannot rely on a single national sign language, which is why International Sign (IS) is a natural part of WFD congresses.

3. The Host Is the Zayed Higher Organization

The Congress is being organized by the Zayed Higher Organization for People of Determination (ZHO). The announcement was marked with the receipt of the official hosting banner, and ZHO says its aim is to raise awareness and build momentum toward a world that embraces accessibility and inclusivity for all.

4. The Bid Process Drew Attention

The host was chosen by the WFD General Assembly, and the decision was the subject of a formal media statement from WFD. Other countries, including Nigeria, had also explored hosting, which shows how much interest there is in bringing the Congress to new regions.

5. Other Sign Language Gatherings Are Joining In

The World Association of Sign Language Interpreters (WASLI) has also listed Abu Dhabi as the location for its 2027 conference, so interpreters and Deaf community members may be able to take part in more than one event on the same trip.

The Takeaway

Specific dates and the full program had not been published in the sources we reviewed, so keep an eye on the official WFD channels for registration and scheduling news. What is clear is that WFD Congress 2027 will be a landmark moment for the global Deaf community.

Interested in International Sign or the global Deaf community? Follow OneDeafWorld.com for more coverage of IS, accessible technology, and events from around the world.

The post WFD Congress 2027 Heads to Abu Dhabi: 5 Things to Know first appeared on One Deaf World.