About the Deaf Summit
Building bridges, fostering collaboration, and empowering the Deaf community
Our Story: Community Rising Together
The Deaf Summit emerged from a powerful demonstration of community resilience and self-organization. When the National Association of the Deaf's Leadership Training Conference (NLTC), scheduled for October 29-November 1, 2025 in Austin, Texas, was unexpectedly canceled on October 21, hundreds of Deaf leaders, advocates, and community members found themselves with non-refundable travel arrangements and a shared desire to continue learning and collaborating.
Within hours of the cancellation announcement, Kelby Brick—one of the scheduled NLTC presenters—reached out to the community with a simple question: "See you there?" The response was overwhelming. Deaf leaders from across the nation affirmed their commitment to gather, learn, and strengthen our community together.
From Disappointment to Opportunity
What began as disappointment transformed into inspiration. Community members immediately stepped forward to volunteer:
- Securing meeting spaces at the Austin Deaf Club, local libraries, and university facilities
- Contacting original speakers, many of whom committed to still present
- Building this website to coordinate logistics and share information
- Organizing accommodations, schedules, and community activities
- Contributing countless hours of time, expertise, and passion
This spontaneous mobilization demonstrated something profound: when the Deaf community comes together with shared purpose, we can accomplish remarkable things in remarkably short time.
Our Mission
The Deaf Summit exists to:
Foster Leadership
Provide opportunities for Deaf leaders to develop skills, share knowledge, and inspire one another
Build Community
Create spaces where state associations, organizations, and individuals can work together toward common goals
Strengthen Community
Demonstrate that our community's strength comes from our collective action and mutual support
Preserve Learning
Ensure that valuable presentations, workshops, and discussions still reach those who need them
Celebrate Resilience
Show that setbacks can become opportunities when we work together
Our Values
Community First
We believe in the power of grassroots organizing and community-led initiatives. This summit was created by the community, for the community.
Collaboration Over Competition
We believe the best way to achieve success is to work with others, not against them. We look at others as friends, become supportive of others, and win in partnership.
Accessibility for All
We are committed to ensuring that all Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing individuals can fully participate in our summit through appropriate accommodations and inclusive practices.
Transparency and Integrity
We operate with openness about our processes, decisions, and finances. Our community deserves nothing less.
Positive Focus
While we acknowledge the circumstances that led to our formation, we focus our energy on building something positive and lasting for our community.
Looking Forward
The Deaf Summit represents more than just a replacement conference—it's a proof of concept. It demonstrates that our community has the leadership, expertise, and organizational capacity to create our own opportunities for growth and collaboration.
We are grateful to all the original NLTC organizers and presenters whose work laid the foundation for the content and connections we're building upon. We acknowledge that conference planning is complex work, and we respect the difficult decisions organizations must sometimes make.
At the same time, we celebrate what this moment has revealed: the Deaf community doesn't wait for permission to lead. When we see a need, we fill it. When we face obstacles, we find solutions. When we commit to gathering, we make it happen.
Join Us
Whether you were originally registered for NLTC or are newly discovering this summit, you are welcome here. This is a space for learning, networking, advocacy, and community building.
Together, we are stronger. Together, we lead. Together, we create the future our community deserves.
October 29-31, 2025 • Austin, Texas
Join Us in Making a Difference
Be part of this historic gathering of Deaf leaders, advocates, and professionals.