Welcome to Greater Washington Asian Deaf Association

Greater Washington Asian Deaf Association (GWADA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that advocates for the interests of the Asian Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Community of Washington, DC, Maryland and Virginia.

Video Announcement

Announcement: See upcoming Deaf Asian Night Out (DANO) events!

OUR MISSION

Greater Washington Asian Deaf Association (GWADA) is an organization that advocates for the interests of the Deaf Asian and Hard of Hearing Community of Washington, DC, Maryland and Virginia. GWADA serves, supports and enhances the social, charitable, educational, and cultural needs and goals of its membership.

OBJECTIVES

Be a resource for the education, social justice, civil advocacy, human rights of Asian/Pacific Deaf and Hard of Hearing persons and their families.
Promote educational programs, workshops and seminars for Asian Deaf/Hard of Hearing infants/children, their hearing parents, new Asian immigrants and the helping professionals who work with them.
Conduct and facilitate leadership/assertiveness training programs and self-esteem seminars for Asian Deaf/Hard of Hearing adults and their family members.
Educate the general public about the Asian cultural heritage as well as Asian Deaf culture.
To serve as an information clearinghouse on information about Asian Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing people.
Enhance the recognition and achievements of Asian Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing people, promoting ethnic/cultural identity and pride.
Award scholarships and stipends to outstanding Asian Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing students
Promote efficient fund-raising activities to accomplish the above-mentioned mission.

GWADA CALENDAR

GWADA NEWS

Save the Date: Lunar New Year & GWADA’s 30th Year Anniversary!

by GWADA

We are very excited to announce that we will be partnering with APIA to host the 2024 Lunar New Year & GWADA’s 30th Year Anniversary on March 2, 2024. The event will be held at Gallaudet University in Washington, DC. More details will be forthcoming. Mark the date...

December Deaf Asian Night Out

by GWADA

Deaf Asian Night Out (DANO) will be held on December 15th, at Luna Hall DC, in Washington, DC. This will be our last DANO of 2023! Come celebrate the end of the year with GWADA and learn about various cultural dishes from the Luna Hall DC restaurant manager. Show...

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Serving Our Asian Deaf Community Since March 1994

At the March 1994 Access Silent Asian Conference (The Deaf Asians Experience) in San Francisco, two Deaf Asians met in a workshop. They were surprised to learn that they both lived in the Washington, DC area. It took a conference 3,000 miles away for them to meet!

As a result, they agreed to plan a picnic in Washington, DC for all Deaf Asians in the area. Despite forecasts of a rainstorm, the group still gathered at Buddy Attick Park, Greenbelt, Maryland on June 11, 1994 and enjoyed a delicious potluck picnic. Afterwards, someone suggested that they formally create the organization and a group of ad hoc officers were elected. Thus, the Metropolitan Washington Association of Asian Deaf Americans (MWAADA) was born.

Later, the association changed its name to the Greater Washington Asian Deaf Association. GWADA is a non-profit organization that serves the needs of Deaf Asians in the DC area by promoting various issues of interest to the Deaf Asian community locally, nationally, and worldwide.