Donghoo Sohn

Starting an Advocacy Organization

Friday, July 29, 9:30-10:40am

For this conference,  Donghoo offers insights and tips for assisting Deaf refugee/ New American organizations to establish a non-profit corporation and tax exempt 501(c) 3 status. Local, state and federal regulations pertaining to non-profits will also be reviewed.

Donghoo Sohn is a Real Estate and business lawyer at Melvin and Melvin, PLLC. Donghoo values the importance of charities & foundations, so he helps local and international not- for-profit corporations by providing legal consulting. Donghoo advises clients for the sale, lease and mortgage of real property owned by charitable/religious groups and participates himself as a board member of not-for-profit corporations in New York State. Donghoo is a 2013 raduate of the Master of Laws program at Syracuse University College of Law. He returned to the College of Law as a Visiting Scholar from September 2017 to March 2019. During his research visit, Donghoo explored matters related to American and South Korean business culture, corporate law, compliance law, and related issues. He published a paper, “Duty of Disclosure; Comparison of Securities Regulations between U.S. and S. Korea by Cases in Bio-Pharmaceutical Industry” and delivered a lecture titled “Asian Corporate Culture,” at Syracuse University College of Law. Donghoo Sohn is a board member of Syracuse University Law Alumni Association (“SULAA”). In South Korea, Mr. Sohn is a member of the the Korean Disability Law Association and Korean Blockchain Law Association. Also, Donghoo is actively involved in local nonprofit organizations as a legal advisor at New American Forum, Inc., CNY Blessing Box, Inc., Riina Education for Innovation, Inc., etc. 

Monu Chhetri, Michael Schwartz, Zenna Preli & Dr. Elder

Falling Through the Cracks: Deaf New Americans and Their Unsupported Educational Needs

Friday, July 29, 9:30-10:40am

In this presentation, we will present an article where members of the Deaf New American community reported they arrived in the United States with no formal education, unable to read or write in their native language, and had zero fluency in English. Efforts to educate them have floundered, and the study aims to find out why and how to fix the problem. Interviews of eight Deaf New Americans yielded rich data that demonstrates how education policy in the form of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and other laws fail to address their needs, because these laws do not include them in their coverage. The study’s main findings are the deleterious effect of the home country’s failure to educate their Deaf citizens, America’s failure to provide accessible and effective instruction, and the combined effect of these institutional failures on the ability of Deaf New Americans to master English and find gainful employment. This article is an argument for a change in education policy that recognizes the unique nature of this community and provides for a role of Deaf educators in teaching Deaf New Americans.

Dr. Michael A. Schwartz (J.D., LL.M., Ph.D., Education) is a practicing lawyer and an expert in disability law, Deaf/disability studies, and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. He has conducted numerous research projects and published work on deaf patients’ experiences in the health care and justice settings. Profoundly deaf since birth, Dr. Schwartz holds degrees in law and social science, has training and experience in using qualitative research methods, and is fluent in American Sign Language (ASL) and British Sign Language.

Ms. Monu Chhetri founder of Deaf New Americans Advocacy Inc as non-for-profit Organization in Syracuse, New York, which serves the Deaf New American community and Immigrants. She is fluent in Nepalese Sign Language, ASL, and International Sign. As an interpreter fluent in these languages, Ms. Chhetri provides advocacy support for the Deaf New American community in health care, education, and justice in the Syracuse area. For this project, Ms. Chhetri, a native insider in the Deaf New American community, serves as the team's interlocutor and interpreter, making it possible for the Authors to communicate effectively with members of this community.

Dr. Elder is an Assistant Professor of Inclusive Education at Rowan University. His research and practice focuses on the development of innovative and sustainable inclusive education practices in under- resourced schools in the United States and low-resourced countries around the world. Most recently, he has worked and IDP in Ghana and Rwanda. Through the leadership of IDP, he is also currently involved in the MCSIE evaluation of inclusive education programs in Cambodia, Malawi, and Nepal.

Ms. Zenna Preli, a long time American sign language interpreter in the Central New York area, works closely with Ms. Chhetri in providing effective communication access to members of the Deaf New American community when they interact with health care personnel, law enforcement, social service agencies and other key sectors of society. Both Ms. Preli, who can hear, and Ms. Chhetri, who is Deaf, work in tandem to ensure that the Deaf New Americans, many who do not have fluency in both the English language and ASL, achieve a level of understanding of their situation and their options.

Tai Ngo Shaw

Diversity

Friday, July 29, 11:00am - 12:10pm

Tai Ngo Shaw will present about how the Syracuse community can be inclusive and embrace the diversity of refugees and immigrants. His will explain his experiences as a diversity educator and supporter of New Americans. 

Tai Ngo Shaw is a Vietnamese refugee who came to America over 40 years ago. He worked hard to receive two degrees from Alfred State University. He helps the refugee/immigrant community in Syracuse with advice about the immigration process. He works with programs to be sure people have enough food and health care. Tai and his two children are proud to make Syracuse their home. 

 Chelsea Stinson

Critical Aspirations: Disability, Education and Community Cultural Wealth in a Sanctuary City

Friday, July 29, 11:00am - 12:10pm

This presentation will focus on the results of a research study about experiences of New American educators, advocates, interpreters, and parents of children who experience disability and ableism in schools. will highlight the knowledge and stories of New Americans from a community cultural wealth perspective. She will share information about how advocates and schools can shift or transform their beliefs and practices to more effectively engage in critical partnership with New American communities. This presentation will include PowerPoint slides and physical copies for participants with written and graphically presented information.

Chelsea Stinton’s research focuses on the experiences of emergent bilingual youth labeled as disabled and their families across migration and education contexts. A former K-12 English language teacher, she also studies the knowledge, emotions, and policy contexts of educators who support diverse students. She joins the faculty in the Foundations and Social Advocacy Department at SUNY Cortland in Fall 2022 as an assistant professor of inclusive education. She is also currently a PhD candidate at Syracuse University.

Kedar Prasad Adhikari & Dinesh Shrestha

Refugees in Nepal, Situations and Challenges

Friday, July 29, 11:00am - 12:10pm

Kedar Prasad Adhikari and Dinesh Shrestha will share information he has gathered via interviews with Deaf Refugees living in Nepal refugee camps. He will highlight the best practices for communication access for Deaf refugees. In addition, he will present information on the status of Nepali Deaf people—their sign language, their social, educational, access and economic conditions.

Kedar Prasad Adhikari, from Beni Nepal, is President of the National Federation of the Deaf in Nepal (NDFN). Using effective engagement strategies, Kedar has worked for 15 years in the areas of Deaf accessibility as well as disability and development—ensuring Human Rights of Persons with Disabilities. His advocacy has reached across Nepal and globally.

Dinesh Shrestha has over thirteen years of experience as an Interpreter. Dinesh was born in Nuwakot, Nepal and President of the National Association of the Sign Language Interpreters Nepal (NASLI- NEPAL). He will Co- present with KP Adhikari and will describe the status of interpreting in Nepal, interpreter best practices as well as strategies for providing full access and inclusion to all. He currently works as a Senior Sign Language Interpreter at the National Federation of the Deaf Nepal (NDFN) and oversees the national interpreter agency in Nepal.

Lindsay Ryan & Holly Lehman

Being Trauma-Informed

Friday, July 29, 3:00-4:10pm

This keynote provided by members of the Vera House team will speak to the critical nature of being trauma-informed across our community in our work with Deaf New Americans and overall. It will seek to equip attendees with tools and skills needed for this work.

Speaker Bios forthcoming

Chol Majok

Civic Engagement and Participation

Friday, July 29, 4:30-5:40pm

Syracuse Councilor Chol Majok has long been involved in civic engagement and participation personally and as a local organizer, personally witnessing what can happen when we take hold of our voice as citizens and residents in our communities.

Speaker Bio forthcoming

Maggie Russell & Kelley Cooper

“Advocacy” A Systematic Approach 

In order to provide an effective holistic service for Deaf/HH individuals, one must consider the services needed for independence and the barriers that prevent individuals from achieving self-reliance and autonomy. Life is complicated and an individual moves in and out of many communities (family, social-cultural, medical, behavioral health, educational, legal) and the ease at which they move through these communities has much to do with the types of supports that they have and agency knowledge Deaf of access. We will present on building an “agency advocacy network” that can help support Deaf citizens when they encounter denied access (no Deaf new American interpreter services) and how to inform and educate providers about their Deaf access obligations while acquiring documentation that can assist when filing complaints and seeking legal counsel for these discriminating actions.

Maggie Russell is Director of MCIRS Interpreting services at Aurora of CNY and has been in her position for over 17 years. She provides staff and community ASL interpreting services and advocacy for CNY’s Deaf/Hard of Hearing & Deaf new American citizens. Maggie is a Nationally Certified Interpreter for the Deaf/HH and has been working as an ASL interpreter since 1987. Maggie, while in Vermont, ran the first psychosocial vocational program for hearing and Deaf individuals who experience chronic and persistent mental illness acclimating individuals to their communities after extensive hospitalizations. In addition, Maggie created the first Deaf residential program for individuals who experience chronic and persistent mental illness and who required supports to live independently in their community. This residential program was Deaf staffed. Maggie lives in Syracuse with her husband of 41 years and she is a mother of two boys. Her youngest son is graduating high school this year.

In 1998, Kelley Cooper started working for CSD New York Relay Service as a team leader. She worked closely with a team of 40 relay operators focusing on providing top quality telecommunication services to all deaf, hard of hearing, and hearing New Yorkers. She was promoted to Center Manager in 2010 where she was responsible for the call center operations, overseeing 100+ employees. While working for CSD-NY Relay, she worked at Aurora of Central New York as a part time employment specialist in 2009. Her passion in advocacy and education for the Deaf community led me to become the first Deaf person to direct Aurora’s Deaf Services department in 2012. When spinal meningitis robbed her of her hearing at the age of three, she was subjected to many struggles, constant oppression; she persevered and in doing so experienced many successes that most Deaf people experience in their lifetime. Because of her own personal journey, she is able to assist Deaf people in overcoming the barriers that exist today so that they too have opportunity for success!

Tamla Htoo

Advocating for Equal Access

Advocacy Gala Keynote, Friday, July 29, 7:00-8:30pm

Tamla will share her journey from high school student to college instructor with a master’s degree. Along the way, her life has been enriched with many learning experiences and lesson about cultural differences which are both humorous and distressing. Tamla will offer suggestions concerning how to face challenges in advocating for equal access as well as how allies can work with Deaf New Americans to achieve their goals. 

Tamla Htoo is co-founder of Deaf New Americans Advocacy, Inc. (DNAA) in Syracuse, NY. Tamla is a proud Deaf woman whose native country is Myanmar. She left Myanmar as a young child due to civil war and lived in Thailand. In 2005, she resettled in Syracuse, New York. Becoming an American Citizen in 2012. Tamla is currently working as an American Sign Language instructor at Onondaga Community College and Syracuse University. She has been actively involved with the DNAA leadership team since 2012. 

Catherine Holmes

Immigration and Citizenship: Assisting in the Processes from Refugee Resettlement to a US Citizenship

Saturday, July 30, 1:45-2:55pm

In this presentation, Catherine Holmes will explain the immigration processes—talking about the immigration processes from refugee to US Citizen and how to help the Deaf refugee population achieve that goal.

Catherine Holmes has worked at Catholic Charities of Onondaga County’s Refugee Resettlement program for 13 years. Catholic Charities of Onondaga Co is a DOJ recognized agency with five DOJ accredited representatives that regularly trained and evaluated by the Department of Justice to ensure that have the knowledge and most up to date information about immigration policy and the best practices for preparing immigration applications. Most of this time, she has been doing immigration work – helping refugees and immigrants with green card applications, citizenship and naturalization applications, family reunifications applications both for Refugees and Immigrants. With the recent influx of both the Afghan and Ukrainian populations also doing TPS and asylum clinics. Catholic Charities works closely with immigration attorneys to be able to best serve the Syracuse area's immigration needs.

Bhawani Dangal and Chandra Tamang

Rice = Home 

Saturday, July 30, 1:45-2:55pm

Join Bhawani Dangal and Chandra Tamang as they recount stories from their childhood in Asia and their adulthood in America.  Their journey begins and ends with rice, a staple in their diets.  Participants will have all of their senses engaged as the stories remind as tales of woe and wonder are woven with humor and humility.

Chandra Gurung was born in Bhutan and lived in a Nepalese refugee Camp for 25 years.  In 2015, she and her family came to south Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  Chandra and her husband have three children.  Four years ago, she became a volunteer advocate with DeafCAN!  Chandra was also involved with the 2021 World Refugee Day Conference planning committee in their local community.

Bhawani P. Dangal was born in Bhutan and lived in a Nepalese refugee Camp before moving to the United States in 2011.  After first living in New Hampshire, Bhawani and his family moved to Pennsylvania where they now live. He has worked as a Nepali Sign Language interpreter and Refugee advocate with DeafCAN! Bhawani was the keynote presenter at the World Deaf Refugee Day in 2021 in their local community.

Shamati Suhang & Durga Bhattrai

Working with Health Care Providers: Self-Advocacy, Access and Empowerment

Saturday, July 30, 1:45-2:55pm

Shamati and Durga’s presentation will address the challenges and barriers faced by refugees who experience health care issues. Based on their own experiences dealing with medical professionals, They will explain how refugees can learn to take a stand to get appropriate treatment and access.

Shamati Suhang was born in Bhutan and came to the United States from a Nepalese refugee camp. She arrived in Syracuse with her family in 2011. Shamati has navigated a new county, culture and language as a single mother of three children. Today, she is an advocate, mentor and staff member working with the Deaf New Americans.

Durga Bhattrai was born in Bhutan and grew up in a refugee camp in Nepal. He came to Oregan in 2012. Durga has worked with Deaf New Americans in Oregan for two years, first in a paid position and now as a volunteer. He is a leader and advocate in the Portland, Oregon refugee community. Durga’s goal is to help establish a national network of refugee organizations.