09/16/2026
There are so many ways to experience birds, and every one of them belongs in the birding community.
For Birdability Week, we are bringing together Deaf, deaf, DeafBlind, hard-of-hearing, and late-deafened birders to talk about what access and belonging can look like.
Join Hannah DeFelice, Macy DeGraw, Aurora Kuczek, Nick Parker, and Amy Sugeno as they share their birding journeys, the barriers they have encountered, and the accommodations and strategies that help them participate more fully.
We will also explore the diversity of hearing experiences and identities, including the distinction between Deaf as a cultural and linguistic identity and deaf as a term for hearing loss or disability.
And we will talk about the many ways people connect with birds beyond sound.
Birding While d/Deaf or Hard of Hearing
Tuesday, October 20, 2026
7:00 PM ET | 6:00 PM CT | 5:00 PM MT | 4:00 PM PT
This free virtual program will include ASL interpretation and captions, but requires advance registration. Learn more and register at https://www.birdability.org/birdability-week
Join us to listen, learn, share, and help build accessible and inclusive birding communities!
Image description: Square Birdability Week graphic with a deep blue background and white, teal, light blue, and dark gray starburst shapes. Five circular photos show the panelists outdoors and indoors, including people birding near water and in wooded areas and one person with a black service dog. Large white text reads, “Birding While d/Deaf or Hard of Hearing.” Below it is “October 20, 2026, 7:00 P.M. ET.” A QR code and ASL interpretation symbol appear near the lower left. Bottom text reads, “A FREE Program celebrating Birdability Week with thanks to our generous sponsors.”