A DISCUSSION OF ONGOING EFFORTS TO ADDRESS DEAFNESS IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

Floyd Davis

Date of Award

2023

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Social Sciences

First Advisor

Hernandez, Sarah

Area of Concentration

Caribbean and Latin American Studies

Abstract

This report explains the activities involved in an applied research project that serves as my senior project, instead of being a traditional research thesis. Its success is evident in that the Government of the Dominican Republic took a welcome step toward identifying, eradicating and treating deafness in its population. Up until that point, this project sought to identify the causes of deafness—primarily in children—and to the develop a national campaign to be led by a faith-based non-profit. Thus, the medium and shape of the project became an enjoyable telling of the story, a narrative in parts. I address how the project evolved, who participated in its development, what we learned, and how linkages could be initiated with other projects and interested organizations, as well as to national development/sustainability goals in support of the larger United Nations Millennium Development program. When the Government of the Dominican Republic decided to take a major step to address deafness, our project morphed from a focus on deafness to the wider totality of disabilities. Save for a limited number of resources, we faced no problems. Instead, we relied on an existing network of interested supporters in the Dominican Republic and the United States, and especially on a very accomplished group of Dominican university students who are honing their skills as part of a leadership academy, Casa Misionera. The heroes in this story are those who continue to devote themselves to improving the lives of others in the various disabled communities.

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