Nothing About Us Without Our Data: Deaf-led Needs Assessments as a Tool for Democratic Participation.

Dr. Lorne Farovitch is a deaf transdisciplinary biomedical researcher and multilingual signer, fluent in more than five sign languages. He is dedicated to advancing health equity for deaf communities worldwide through community-driven research. His research spans quality-of-life surveillance, infectious diseases, and inclusive public health across eight countries, including collaborations with governments to address barriers to equitable healthcare.

As founder and Executive Director of the Global Deaf Research Institute (GDRI), he leads deaf-centered interventions, bridging gaps between services and deaf populations through national needs assessments. These assessments provide vital tools for informing policy changes, improving services, and guiding resource allocation for deaf communities.