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Nevada Black Deaf Advocates
(NVBDA)
We need your support!
Become a member below!
You don’t have to share the same identity to share the commitment.
NVBDA is rooted in Black Deaf leadership—and strengthened by community. Membership is open to people of all races, ethnicities, and backgrounds. Deaf, hearing, interpreters, students, professionals, and allies are welcome.
Join us in supporting Black Deaf leadership, equity, access, and community.
Stop Tokenizing Us
Building Authentic Black Deaf Representation
Presented by: Dr. Liann Osborne, Ed.D.
Date: Saturday, October 24, 2026
Time: 9:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. Pacific Time
Location: Online
(link to join will be emailed prior to workshop)
0.3 PPO CEUS
Dr. Liann Osborne, Ed.D. is a Creole Black Deaf educator, storyteller, counselor, life coach, and executive leader whose work is grounded in community, cultural dignity, and social justice. With more than 30 years of experience in education, employment services, disability services, counseling, and organizational leadership, she brings professional expertise and lived wisdom to her work. Her doctoral research, Black Deaf Minds Matter in Deaf Education, centers the voices and experiences of Black Deaf students. Dr. Osborne creates compassionate and courageous spaces where honest conversations can lead to accountability, healing, empowerment, and meaningful change.
Tokenism and performative inclusion often place Black Deaf individuals in visible roles without providing meaningful authority, equitable compensation, or genuine influence over decisions. These practices can also create expectations of unpaid cultural and emotional labor.
This interactive workshop examines how racism, audism, power, and privilege shape Black Deaf representation within interpreting, education, employment, nonprofit organizations, and community leadership. Through guided discussion, personal reflection, scenario analysis, and action planning, participants will distinguish authentic inclusion from symbolic representation and develop practical standards for equitable compensation, shared decision-making, accountability, and sustained organizational change.
Accommodations
Workshop taught in ASL.
Reasonable accommodations are available upon request. Participants requiring accommodations should contact Dawn Duran, dawn@lighthouseinterpreting.com by Oct 19, 2026 Requests received after the deadline will be considered when reasonably possible.
Refund Policy
All profits will be donated to NVBDA, therefore, no refunds are offered for cancellation.
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Non- Discrimination Statement
Nevada Black Deaf Advocates and Lighthouse Interpreting & Training foster a learning environment grounded in mutual respect and inclusion. Harassment, discrimination, bias, or horizontal violence based on race, color, ethnicity, religion, gender, gender expression, age, national origin, disability, hearing status, marital status, sexual orientation, military status, or any other protected identity will not be permitted.
This policy does not prohibit difficult conversations. It supports honest dialogue while maintaining dignity, accountability, and respect for all participants.