It's National Deaf Awareness Month. Let's include Deaf refugees
My name is Bhawani Dangal. I was born in Bhutan. As a result of the Bhutanese government’s ethnic cleansing campaign, my family was forced to flee the country to Nepal, where we lived in refugee camps. I’ve written about my experiences in my upcoming book Down the Braided River: My Journey as a Deaf Refugee, which is co-written with Julia Freeman-Woolpert. The creation of this book has been a labor of love over the past six years. I’m thrilled to announce that our hard work will soon pay off, because our publication date is fast approaching!
The global refugee crisis is growing by the day. There are countless people waiting for the day they are finally resettled somewhere safe. What many don’t consider is the barriers deaf refugees face—resettlement organizations are ill equipped to support deaf refugees’ access to resettlement programs, leaving them unable to advance in their new land. I’m hopeful that by spreading awareness of my experiences through my book, resettlement programs and services will become accessible for deaf refugees.
Thank you for taking the time to watch and learn a little bit about my story. My hope is that by sharing my story, I’ll be able to help deaf refugees now who are resettling in new countries by spreading awareness to the international organizations, educators, advocates, and interpreters who work with them. This book shows the importance of advocating with and for refugees and supporting them on their journey to independence in their new surroundings, and uplifting the whole community by doing so.
