About

Our mission is to empower all women, especially Deaf women, by creating inclusive spaces for leadership, personal growth, and advocacy. We celebrate the diverse strengths of women, promote equity, and amplify voices that are too often unheard through accessible education, mentorship, and community engagement.

We envision a world where every woman, regardless of ability, background, or identity, is empowered to lead, thrive, and make informed decisions about her future. By championing gender equity, access to resources, and inclusive dialogue, we foster a culture of strength and solidarity. Through storytelling, mentorship, skill-building, and collective action, we work to eliminate systemic barriers and create lasting change for current and future generations of women.

Our history

Salma Kanji and Barb Burdick asked Leanor Vlug to join with them to develop a proposal for CAD board and AGM (2002 or 2003). Their idea was to host it in 2005, because 2006 would be the Canadian Deaf Conference and 2007 the World Deaf Congress. 

Leanor redrafted the rough “motion” that Salma had sent to her on email, so that the proposal would include CAD committing support to fund a project to “begin process of establishing a national deaf women’s committee or caucus, with specific mission, goals and objectives. 

The BC rep (Cecilia Tung) brought the proposal to the board... a motion was made at the board and AGM, but the exact wording of the motion that passed was not known....so the women of British Columbia were not sure what exactly CAD had agreed to do in terms of supporting a Deaf Women’s Conference. For various reasons, this committee disbanded and the Conference was not held in 2005; instead Vancouver Deaf women decided to start its own planning, later to connect with CAD.

Janice Jickels, a Deaf woman from the Vancouver area, was chosen to lead a local committee that would begin the planning for such a national Deaf Women’s Conference. Since the spring of 2005, the committee had planned details and undertook fundraising for this conference. The mandate of the Canadian Deaf Women’s Conference committee is stated below. 

This was actually the third “DWC” in Vancouver, the first two being held in 1985 and 1994 – both of which were organized by Deaf women affiliated to the Greater Vancouver Association of the Deaf. The BC Deaf women really appreciated the assistance the community gave them which made this event a memorable one – hopefully to be the model for future national conferences hosted by other cities. 

The “core committee” members were: Chairperson Janice “JJ” Jickels (now Lyons); Treasurer: Suzie Giroux, Secretary: Leanor Vlug; Registration and Tourism: Hester Hussey; Lois Wood: Program Book, Workshops, and Exhibits; Lisa Anderson, Workshops Assistant; Marjorie Cameron, Assistant to the Chairperson / Website Liaison. These women met frequently over many, many months, working on the numerous details of this Conference. The Committee undertook a huge task, with limited funds, almost entirely from their own fundraising events, requests for local and provincial support, and donations from local organizations and groups.

Accomplishments:

• Website designed by local deaf person, domain name and service provider paid by money we raised from activities or donations. Logo designed by local Deaf woman. 

• Large donation by the Deaf Community Foundation of BC, to enable between 25 and 50 BC women to receive their registration and/or accommodation “free” (women who were low-income or on disability / social assistance benefits). 

• Donations from a Deaf women’s group, from ASL students at Vancouver Community College, and individuals. 

• Fundraising activities by DWC volunteers: Refreshment sales at Deaf, Deaf World 2006, GVAD Corn Party 2006, T-shirt sales, and ASL performances of the Vagina Monologues (April 18 — 21, 2007). 

• Deposits made on the accommodations and workshop facilities at UBC. The deposits came from the funds raised prior to registrations.

What were the challenges?

We recognized that CAD had limited resources, but nothing like what Deaf women and Deaf women’s groups were and are experiencing. As it is our understanding that this conference was initiated by the CAD Board many years ago, we feel that there are some issues that need the support of the national organization(s). 

First is the importance of having all information in all official languages: ASL / English and LSQ / French. For that, we need CAD’s support – for example, to have the website translated to French. The same is true for any print materials related to conference or projects connected to the conference – French users must be able to access website information in their language. Interpretation costs at the conference: ASL/LSQ, close up and / or tactile interpreting for deaf-blind, oral / voice interpreting for hearing speakers / conference attendees and those who are deafened. 

For the 2007 CDWC, the CAD was able to initiate a project funded by the Status of Women Canada – called Empowering Deaf Women – with the goal of empowering Deaf women to learn how to access services in violence prevention and health care. With this project, funds were shared to cover the French / English and LSQ / ASL translation needs. The CDWC 2007 Conference was a great success – in terms of information shared / gained and financially. 

The Conference Committee was able to repay CAD the $2,000 borrowed to host the initial fundraising events in 2006. The Vancouver group made a “pay it forward” gift of $2,000 to the next CDWC host committee for the 2011 Conference in Niagara Falls. It was given with the hope that future Conferences would set aside funds from their profits to pass on to the next host city. Since 2010, the CDWC 2007 Committee has used funds from the proceeds of the Conference to send women to the 2011 CDWC in Niagara Falls, and to host workshops for BC Deaf women.