Davin Searls
At a glance:
An intrepid traveler and global visionary, Davin Searls, who is Deaf, runs the only non-profit organization in the world solely focused on providing leadership training to Deaf people in developing countries, Discovering Deaf Worlds.An intrepid traveler and global visionary, Davin Searls, who is Deaf, runs the only non-profit organization in the world solely focused on providing leadership training to Deaf people in developing countries, Discovering Deaf Worlds.
Through this work, he has dined with Deaf Chinese gangsters, sipped tea with Deaf people in the slums of India, climbed a mountain with a person who is Deaf and blind, and everything in between.
A native American Sign Language user from a culturally Deaf family going back four generations, Davin Searls has traveled around the world to provide leadership, teambuilding, and organizational development training to Deaf community leaders, including a 2.5-year program in the Philippines that ultimately trained over 1,700 Deaf people. He has also given presentations on human rights, advocacy, and diversity within the global Deaf community to audiences from across the globe.
Davin Searls formerly chaired the International Experts Group of the National Association of the Deaf, the premier civil rights organization of, by and for deaf and hard of hearing individuals in the USA. He is currently a member of the Human Rights Experts Group under the World Federation of the Deaf, an international non-profit and non-governmental organization of deaf associations from 133 countries.
Davin Searls is out to show the world that Deaf people can and are doing amazing things when given the opportunity.
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Discovering Deaf Worlds: From Ideas to Action
After living in China for a year, Davin Searls returned home with a mission: to change the world. More than 90% of Deaf people in developing countries never attend school, the vast majority are unemployed, and many experience physical violence and abuse.
Committed to changing this by training Deaf people to become leaders within their communities, Davin Searls spent 7 years as a full-time volunteer to bring his dream to fruition.
Today, Davin Searls assists other leaders and their organizations in turning their ideas into action. You, too, can learn how to maximize your efforts and have the impact you're looking for. -
The Power of Opportunity
As a non-profit leader whose focus is empowering other non profits, Davin Searls is no stranger to the power of opportunity. From Chinese gangsters to HIV/AIDS workers in Kenya, learn from his travels around the world, how he is leveraging the power of opportunity to change the world, and how you, too, can harness the power of opportunity. -
Deaf in a Hearing World
Imagine a world where you cannot understand what your family is talking about at the dinner table. Or a world where you are turned down for jobs, no matter how qualified you are. This is the world Deaf people live in every day.
Davin Searls offers a unique perspective on what it's like to be Deaf in a world that has been designed by and for people who can hear. With humor and personal anecdotes, he shares the challenges Deaf people face and the beauty of Deaf culture, highlighting the importance of diversity, inclusion, and providing accessibility for all.
