“Ask Before You Share”: Deaf Community Leads the Conversation on Digital Citizenship in Soweto - Foundation Office South Africa

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“Ask Before You Share”: Deaf Community Leads the Conversation on Digital Citizenship in Soweto

At the close of Deaf Awareness Month, the Deaf Empowerment Foundation and KAS South Africa brought Deaf citizens and public institutions into the same room to ask who is responsible when rights go digital, and what happens when those rights can’t be accessed.

September 30, 2026

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The Deaf Empowerment Foundation (DEF), in partnership with the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS), convened the Responsible Digital Citizenship Lab on 30 September 2026 at Sakhumzi Restaurant in Phefeni, Soweto.

Targeting Deaf community members, the programme combined accessible, Deaf-led facilitation, practical digital citizenship scenarios, interactive discussions and engagement with relevant public institutions.

The Lab aimed to strengthen Deaf people's understanding of digital rights, privacy, consent, online safety and responsible digital participation. It sought to promote critical reflection on everyday digital dilemmas, facilitate dialogue with public institutions and generate community-informed principles towards a proposed Deaf Digital Citizenship Charter.

The Lab generated active participation and constructive discussions on digital rights and responsibilities. Practical scenarios encouraged participants to examine daily online challenges, while institutional engagement clarified rights, reporting procedures and available remedies. Community discussions also identified accessibility concerns and emerging recommendations to inform the proposed Deaf Digital Citizenship Charter.