Mission

Since the AIA Office of Diversity enabled many in-house staffs to work in associated with the other groups as well as National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA), ACE mentors, American Indian Council of Architects and Engineers (AICAE), and Equity by Design. Some of the other staffs from different subdivisions of the Office of Diversity are coordinating with the other seven groups, including WDA, on their events.  Mostly, staffs and directors from the Office of General Counsel, Office of AIA Knowledge Community, and Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion who are currently working in cooperative with WDA have spent some times to learn in the program development and communication access for the deaf and hard of hearing who are working in associated with them for WDA’s social activities and events which will become merged with the members of AIA in conference, activities, seminars, and committees.

We, the Board of Directors members, seek an unparalleled opportunity to reach hundreds of key decision-makers across the design and construction industry. As a nonprofit organization affiliated within the subdivision of the Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at American Institute of Architects in Washington, DC, our growing ranks include individuals with various levels of deafness, hard of hearing, deaf and blind and full hearing abilities. Our membership serves as architects, teachers, researchers, and designers who work within the government, nonprofit and corporate sectors.  Additional attendees include relative members; retirees who remain active in civic and community service; architecture students from accredited school throughout the nation and around the world as well as administrators, educators, support service and service providers who are involved with the design and construction industry.

We anticipate we will have approximately 25 to 30 in attendance for the World Deaf Architecture Meetings, Activities and Symposium at the AIA Conference on Architecture in Philadelphia in May 2021 for professional development, presentation, meeting, networking, and receptions.

Sign language interpreters and CART (Communication Access on Real Time) will be provided by AIA for the deaf and hard of hearing attendees during the annual conference and other events to participate in both WDA Symposium, keynote speakers, sessions, workshops, receptions and tours.

WDA is completely dependent upon your kind charitable donations. The board members and representatives all work for free.  Please help support our projects and goals. If you can find out more about our objectives and activities by reading our message, please feel free to contact us. RN