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Dear Community members and supporters,
We want to address concerns raised by a member of our community in response to our recent official statement regarding the hiring of an Executive Director at the Helen Keller National Center (HKNC).
Let us first emphasize that we are aware of DBCA’s former founding President’s involvement with the Executive Director Search Committee in 2014. While we cannot speak for him, we have heard directly from him. DBCA’s recent statement in no way ignores the views of those who were involved with the 2014 Executive Director Search Committee and a subsequent decision to create the Associate Executive Director position.
Our position remains the same. We firmly believe in having qualified DeafBlind leaders in any organization. We also continue to maintain that dialogue is the approach that our community needs to embrace.
HKNC was created by a federal law in 1967. It has been funded by Congressional reauthorizations ever since. It is the country’s only national center providing vocational training, independent living, and other services to DeafBlind people.
If the community wants to change how HKNC is funded and administered, they should direct their concerns to Congress. However, focusing our collective energy on targeting the leadership of HKNC is not the approach DBCA supports. Instead, we believe that by partnering with HKNC and other organizations across the country, we will successfully bring about needed change.
Thank you for your understanding and support,
Quinn Michaela Burch, President
Christian Gonzales, Vice President
Deafblind Citizens in Action
recent developments
Dear Community members and supporters,
DeafBlind Citizens in Action (DBCA) is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to improving DeafBlind people’s quality of life. We do this through leadership development, accessible technology, and legislative advocacy, among other approaches.
Since its founding, DBCA has been a strategic partner of the Helen Keller National Center (HKNC). We are grateful to HKNC for supporting DBCA by investing in our leadership development program. HKNC’s support recognized the need for developing effective leaders able to take on various roles in our society, including leadership of national centers such as HKNC itself.
While DBCA envisions a world without barriers where a DeafBlind person can hold any leadership position, we do not believe the current approach embraced by some in our community will help achieve that vision. We believe that as a community, we need to come together and talk with our allies to find win-win solutions. As Helen Keller said, “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”
With that in mind, DBCA urges our community members and our allies to continue to strive for a barrier-free world. Our collaborative efforts to achieve our shared goals should extend to the leadership of a national organization serving our community. We also must continue the work of developing a generation of talented leaders who will persist in our common struggle for equality in all aspects of society.
Please join DBCA today in calling for unity, not confrontation. But we must also insist on continued transparency and accountability from our allies to advance our shared interests. While understandable given our community’s continued marginalization by society as a whole, campaigns attacking our partners and allies undermine efforts to bring about systemic change through collective effort.
DBCA looks forward to working with HKNC and others to identify and address problems that persist. While DBCA does not comment on its partners’ hiring practices without having the facts, we urge the Center to continue elevating DeafBlind people to all available leadership positions. We would like to propose that HKNC’s leadership host a community forum in order to hear the voices of its DeafBlind Citizens.
Sincerely,
Quinn Michaela Burch, President
Christian Gonzalez, vice-president
Deafblind Citizens in Action
Our Missions
DBCA’s mission is to level the playing field for people who are deafblind by providing them with the necessary tools and resources to live independently and achieve their goals. We believe that all individuals, regardless of their abilities, should have equal access to education, employment, and community resources.
Our Programs
Deafblind Citizens in Action (DBCA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering individuals who are deafblind by providing them with the necessary resources and support to live independently and achieve their goals. Our programs currently only include advocacy services as we are working on restructuring our curriculum.
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Join us in our mission to empower deafblind citizens by volunteering your time, making a donation, or simply spreading awareness about our cause. Together, we can make a difference.
Testimonials
Nora Jacobs
Advocate
“DBCA has been instrumental in providing me with the tools and resources I need to live independently and pursue my career goals. I am forever grateful for their support and dedication to our community.”
Bert Brian
Graduate
“I was hesitant to seek help from DBCA at first, but I am so glad I did. Their vocational training program allowed me to learn new skills and gain confidence in my abilities. I am now employed and living independently thanks to their support.”
Deafblind Citizens in Action, Inc. is honored to collaborate with institutions to uplift the Deafblind community across the country.
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Deafblind Citizens in Action, Inc.
You may email our President at president@deafblindcitizens.org.
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