In pursuing climate and disaster resilience, Deaf community must be included – OML Center
Climate change spares no one, but it doesn't affect everyone equally. For the Deaf community, the risks often begin with silence and lack of access to information.
At the 2025 League of Corporate Foundations CSR Expo, the Oscar M. Lopez (OML) Center took the stage for the session, "From Misconceptions to Meaningful Inclusion: Co-Producing with the Deaf Community." The presentation, held on July 2 at the Glorietta Activity Center in Makati City, featured OML Center Knowledge Production Manager Alfi Lorenz Cura and Deaf leader Carolyn Dagani.
The session highlighted one of the Center's flagship initiatives, Project SIGND or Climate Resilience of the Deaf: Signs for Inclusive Governance and Development, which seeks to help build the adaptive capacity of the Deaf to climate and disaster risks.
Cura opened the presentation by a question: "We know climate change doesn't affect everyone equally. But what does that actually look like for the Deaf community?"
Cura presented real-world scenarios where Deaf individuals are left behind in climate and disaster response. "Imagine a tropical cyclone warning being announced on major television. If they cannot hear it, how would they know that danger is coming? Or picture an evacuation center with no FSL interpreters? How would they know where to go and what to do?" he asked.
Cura also pointed out that while there are programs in place that are meant to help, not every one, particularly the Deaf, can understand them.
"Many materials are full of technical terms, or in walls of text with no translation… And when timely information is inaccessible, too technical, too text heavy, or purely sound-based, they're often left out of critical information."
Citing a striking statistic, Cura also emphasized that only one out of every ten persons with disabilities in the Philippines receives the support they need. "That means the majority, including many Deaf Filipinos, face climate-related risks on their own," he stressed.
To address these challenges, the OML Center, together with Deaf leaders and organizations, developed Project SIGND.
"Through Project SIGND, we've taken steps to increase Deaf inclusion by developing Filipino Sign Language signs or FSL specifically for climate and disaster-related terms, helping bridge communication gaps," Cura described.
To increase the capacity of Deaf individuals, Deaf members of the Project were trained in key areas such as climate change, technical writing, and digital tools like the ELAN software used for video annotation and documentation.
"Inclusion without capacity is just tokenism. That's why empowerment was central to our strategy. We worked to build the skills and confidence for Deaf partners so they can fully participate, not just in consultation, but in research and co-production itself," said Cura.
Recognizing that empowerment is not a one-way stream, Cura also underscored that the hearing members of Project SIGND received FSL and Deaf-sensitivity training to foster a genuinely inclusive and collaborative working environment.
Dagani, former Lead for Inclusion of Project SIGND, tackled common misconceptions about the Deaf community. She addressed misconceptions such as the belief that Deaf people cannot lead or that all Deaf individuals use the same sign language. She also explained that FSL is a distinct visual language and not merely a gestured Filipino spoken language. She also clarified the difference between "Deaf" as a cultural identity and "deaf" as a medical condition, and urged everyone to refrain from using offensive terms like "deaf and dumb" or "deaf-mute" when referring to Deaf people.
The session concluded with a strong message: inclusion should not be an afterthought-it is essential and should be integrated in our everyday lives. Project SIGND demonstrates that true resilience is only possible when no one is left behind.
FSL interpreters were present during the session to ensure accessibility for all attendees, especially Deaf audience members.