Braam Jordaan
Braam Jordaan | |
---|---|
Benoni, Johannesburg, South Africa | |
Nationality | South African |
Education | Universal Computer Arts Academy |
Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, author, filmmaker, animator, advocate, executive |
Employer(s) | Convo Global, Ltd. in Vancouver, Canada, Chief Executive Officer |
Organization(s) | World Federation of the Deaf, World Federation of the Deaf Youth Section, United Nations, UNICEF Youth Council Member Global Partnership on Children with Disabilities |
Known for | The Rubbish Monster, director, producer, writer, animation (2006) |
Spouse | Drisana Levitzke-Gray (m. 2016) |
Awards | Order of the Baobab (2019), Business in Vancouver Forty under 40 (2020), Henry Viscardi Achievement Awards (2020) |
Website | http://www.braamjordaan.com/ |
Braam Jordaan (born 1981) is a South African entrepreneur, filmmaker, animator, and activist. He is an advocate for
Jordaan was interviewed by international news organizations including
In 2014, Jordaan collaborated with the Camp Mark Seven's first summer of Deaf Film Camp in making the hit song Happy by Pharrell Williams into an American Sign Language music video. The music video made by all 24 camp students was selected as one of NBC News 25 Most Inspirational Stories of the Year and listed as one of People magazine's 2014 Internet Trends.[6][7]
In 2019, Jordaan was awarded the Order of the Baobab (Grand Counsellor of the Baobab) in recognition of his efforts in raising awareness of the importance of sign language and the human rights of people from the deaf community around the world through his colourful films and books. The National Orders are the highest awards that South Africans can receive. The president bestows a national order upon a South African citizen or member of the international community who has contributed towards making South Africa a democratic and successful country.[8]
Jordaan was a recipient of Business in Vancouver Forty Under 40 for 2020. The awards recognize the achievements of British Columbia's young entrepreneurs, executives and professionals with demonstrated excellence in business, judgment, leadership and community contribution.[9]
In 2020, Jordaan was awarded Henry Viscardi Achievement Awards for championing better education in the deaf community, on achieving global recognition for his contribution to improving the lives of persons with disabilities.[10]
Early life and education
Jordaan was born in
Career
Jordaan's career began at Wicked Pixels, post-production company, creating visual effects and animation for TV commercials, with a client list that included
In 2002, Jordaan won best newcomer and best creative at the Vuka awards by creating a three-dimensional animation advertisement about HIV/AIDS awareness.[12] He also created Sipho the Lion, the official mascot of the XVI World Congress of the World Federation of the Deaf.[11] In 2010, Jordaan created visual effects and animation for an award-winning short film with Gallaudet University called Gallaudet, which had over 140,000 views.[14] Jordaan created a video montage that stretched 1,500 feet at the DeafNation World Expo in 2012.[15] He also won the DeafNation Inspiration Award for Visual Arts that year.[16]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3a/Honorable_Member_of_Disability_Rights_Parliament.jpg/220px-Honorable_Member_of_Disability_Rights_Parliament.jpg)
Deaf education and awareness advocacy
Jordaan became a representative of the World Federation of the Deaf, an international organization that represents 70 million deaf people worldwide, and the World Federation of the Deaf Youth Section, a youth section under the World Federation of the Deaf.[17] In 2012, during the Hong Kong International Deaf Film Festival, Jordaan appealed to the Hong Kong government for the development of a proper sign language curriculum and for the accessibility of sign language interpreters in their nation.[18] In 2014, Jordaan delivered a statement about the right to an education in sign language for deaf youth and children to the Youth with Disabilities of the Seventh Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.[19] He also works with the United Nations and is a Youth Council Member of the UNICEF Global Partnership on Children with Disabilities.[20]
#WHccNow campaign
Jordaan launched a social media campaign around the hashtag #WHccNow to advocate for the
Launch of South Africa's First National Relay Service
After seven years of advocacy, Braam Jordaan, co-founder of Convo Global, spearheaded the establishment of South Africa's first National Relay Service through Convo South Africa and MTN Group in 2022.[23] This pioneering service, part of a broader commitment to ensure equal access to telecommunications for everyone in South Africa, including those with hearing and/or speech disabilities, reflects a nation-wide effort, endorsed by Independent Communications Authority of South Africa and supported by President Cyril Ramaphosa, towards a more inclusive society.[24][25]
The concept for this service was conceived seven years prior by Jordaan, who began advocating for it after experiencing similar services abroad and discussing telecommunication access with President Cyril Ramaphosa upon receiving the Order of the Baobab Award in 2019. Subsequently, in 2021, ICASA amended the Code on People with Disabilities, mandating that electronic communication service licensees provide a National Relay Service (NRS).[26]
References
- ^ a b McLean, Tom (8 December 2009). "Animated dictionary for deaf children unveiled". Animation Magazine. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
- ^ "Speaking out: Young voices on NCDs". UNICEF. 23 September 2014. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
- ^ Simon, Natalie (11 December 2013). "Outrage over sign language interpreter at Madiba Memorial". Yahoo News. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
- ^ a b "Transcript of Braam Jordaan Interview". BBC World News. 19 December 2013. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
- ^ Cheryl K. Chumley (11 December 2013). "Mandela service sign language interpreter: 'He made up his own signs'". The Washington Times. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
- ^ a b Billups, Andrea (11 December 2013). "Mandela Memorial Deaf interpreter was a fake". People. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
- ^ Serico, Chris (25 December 2014). "The 25 most inspirational stories of the year". NBC News. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
- ^ Maphanga, Canny (25 April 2019). "Recipient of National order, Braam Jordaan hopes to launch a video interpreting service for the deaf community". News 24. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
- ^ LaPointe, Kirk (30 October 2020). "BIV's 2020 Forty under 40 winners announced". Business in Vancouver. Retrieved 14 November 2020.
- ^ Ramaphosa, Cyril (3 December 2020). "Closing remarks by President Cyril Ramaphosa for the Presidential Working Group on Disability and on the occasion of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities". The Presidency, Republic of South Africa. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
- ^ a b c "Star profile". This Ability. 21 October 2014. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 16 September 2015.
- ^ a b "Capetonian wins TV ad award". News 24 Archives. 25 November 2002. Retrieved 16 September 2015.
- ^ Lawrence, Sarah (4 June 2015). "Leading and pushing for change, Braam Jordaan's representation promises great things". SL First Magazine. Retrieved 21 September 2015.
- ^ a b Lawrence, Sarah (8 April 2015). "Braam Jordaan, instrumental Deaf film producer and human rights ambassador". SL First Magazine. Retrieved 16 September 2015.
- ^ "Stunning Exhibition of 2012 DeafNation World Expo". DeafNation. 2010. Archived from the original on 10 September 2015. Retrieved 16 September 2015.
- ^ "DeafNation 2012 Inspirational Awards". DeafNation. 2012. Archived from the original on 28 March 2014. Retrieved 16 September 2015.
- ^ "UNICEF Activate Talk - Speaking out: Young voices on non communicable diseases". World Federation of the Deaf Youth Section (WFDYS). 23 September 2014. Retrieved 15 September 2015.
- ^ Meigs, Doug (27 February 2012). "Beyond silent films". China Daily Asia. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 15 September 2015.
- ^ "WFD and WFDYS statement delivered by Braam Jordaan at the panel of Youth with Disabilities of the 7th Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, 12 June 2014". World Federation of the Deaf. 23 September 2014. Retrieved 15 September 2015.
- ^ "Let's "Beard Up Braam" campaign". News 24. 10 March 2015. Retrieved 15 September 2015.
- ^ Jabulile S. Ngwenya (2 December 2015). "People with disabilities have rights". African News Agency. Retrieved 31 January 2016.
- ^ Griffin, Emily (31 December 2015). "#WHCCNOW campaign succeeds in getting closed captions on White House video". 3PlayMedia. Retrieved 31 January 2016.
- ^ Robin-Lee Francke (17 January 2023). "Convo South Africa and MTN partner to bring phone call service to the hearing impaired". IOL. Retrieved 29 March 2024.
- ^ Disability Connect (18 January 2023). "Convo SA and MTN make phone calls for the hearing impaired accessible". Disability Connect. Retrieved 29 March 2024.
- ^ ITWeb (5 December 2022). "ICT sector must ensure equal telecoms rights for disabled". ITWeb. Retrieved 29 March 2024.
- ^ Robin-Lee Francke (17 January 2023). "Convo South Africa and MTN partner to bring phone call service to the hearing impaired". IOL. Retrieved 30 March 2024.