Deaf and Hard of Hearing

The CNCF Deaf and Hard of Hearing Working Group (DHHWG) advocates for accessibility and seeks to empower deaf and hard of hearing community members in cloud native and open source to become more active and visible. To support this effort, we've published best practices documentation on a variety of topics, such as hosting accessible events and conducting media interviews with deaf or hard of hearing individuals.

Our working group is part of Merge Forward, a Technical Community Group focused on building a cloud native community where everyone feels welcome and heard.

Deaf in Cloud Native: Tech Meetups in Sign Language

As part of DHHWG, we also host Deaf in Cloud Native, regular tech meetups conducted in sign language. Whether you sign ASL, ISL, or a mix of various country-specific sign languages, meet our community of (Deaf) signing engineers as we collaborate, share insights, and collectively advance our expertise. 

👉 This is the space where signing engineers can connect, learn about cloud native, and support one another in their journeys.

Get Involved

Are you deaf or hard of hearing? Or maybe you're an ally, passionate about fostering a thriving open source community where everyone is welcome. Join our effort! We welcome deaf and hard of hearing engineers, allies, advocates, and anyone passionate about building a more welcoming open source community.

Ways to join us

• 🗓️ Monthly Working Group Meeting: Every 4th Tuesday at 11 am ET (sign up below)

• 🤝 Deaf in Cloud Native Meetups: Join upcoming sessions to learn cloud native in sign language

• 💬 Slack: Connect on the CNCF Slack — #deaf-and-hard-of-hearing

• 🔔 Stay connected: Click Join this group above for updates

Why a Deaf and Hard of Hearing Working Group?

In any community, if you don't see individuals "like you" thriving in a particular field, it can be difficult to envision a path for yourself. Without visible representation, they may not even know that such opportunities exist.

To cultivate greater representation for all communities, we must establish pathways that enable individuals with specific disabilities to enter the cloud native and open source space. By paving the way for a critical mass of deaf and hard of hearing individuals to succeed in these fields, we can inspire and empower them to become role models within their own communities. In turn, these role models will serve as catalysts, motivating a new generation of engineers to join them on this journey.

Our goal is to foster a more welcoming and vibrant tech community, where everyone has the opportunity to contribute their unique perspectives and talents.

Our goals

• Create pathways for deaf/hoh individuals into cloud native and open source

• Empower deaf/hoh to become more visible members within the cloud native community

• Encourage and educate employers on hiring deaf/hoh employees

• Build a deaf/hoh in tech community to network, learn from, and support each other

WG Chairs, Facilitators, and Meetup Hosts

• Co-chair: Rob Koch

• Co-Chair: Sandeep Kanabar

• Deaf in Cloud Native Co-host: Anastasiia Gubska, CNCF Ambassador

• Deaf in Cloud Native Co-host: Milad Vafaeifard

• Facilitator: Catherine Paganini

WG Chair Emeriti

• Chair Emeritus: Destiny O'Connor