Deaf Interpreter Conference 5
June 22 - 26, 2026
Plenary
Meet our DIC5 Plenary Presenters!
Visionary leaders who will inspire, challenge, and energize our community as we come together to REUNITE, REVITALIZE, and RISE!
Plenary
Diplomatic Interpreting in the ReUnited States of America
Elsie Stecker is a seasoned Certified Deaf Interpreter who served as a White House staff interpreter from 2021 to 2025, helping shape accessibility practices for high-visibility events and public engagement. Across her career, she has created bilingual content, collaborated with national organizations, and contributed to ongoing conversations on language access, politics, civics, and Deaf interpreting practices through her social media platforms.
Plenary
Beyond Interpretation:
The Role of Deaf Interpreters in U.S. Deaf Advocacy
Dr. Lorne Farovitch is a deaf transdisciplinary biomedical researcher and multilingual signer (fluent in over five sign languages), dedicated to advancing health equity for deaf communities worldwide through community-driven research. As founder and Executive Director of the Global Deaf Research Institute (GDRI), he leads deaf-centered interventions, bridging gaps between services and deaf populations with data-powered solutions by deploying national deaf needs assessments. This approach is a vital tool for policy change, improved services, and resource allocation tailored to deaf communities.
His past research spans quality of life surveillance, infectious disease, and inclusive public health across eight countries and four U.S. jurisdictions, collaborating with governments to break down language-based healthcare barriers. Grounded in lived experience and intersectional advocacy, he champion deaf-led solutions through global partnerships, policy reform, and scalable models for equitable health systems.
Plenary
Don't Sink, Rise: Use AI to Stay on Top of the Wave
Sam Sepah is a global leader transforming the future of AI for over one billion people with disabilities and deafness. As a driving force across Google Research, the Deaf community, and the accessibility tech industry, Sam specializes in scaling AI innovations from the lab to the world. As a Senior Lead AI Accessibility Research Program Manager at Google, Sam was an early founding member of the Natively Adaptive Interfaces (NAI) initiative. He also co-founded Sign Language Research at Google, delivering SignGemma, a Big Tech industry-first AI model. Previously, he made history as the only Culturally Deaf HR leader in the Fortune 500, advising giants like IBM, NIH, and DOL. Sam’s leadership extends to global governance as the Chairperson of the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD) AI Taskforce and Chairperson of the Atomic Hands Board. He also serves on the boards of the NTID Foundation and Ohlone College Foundation. With 20 years of experience, Sam creates the latest technologies to enrich lives everywhere.