The World Deaf Leadership Program was established in 1996 by an agreement between Gallaudet University and the Nippon Foundation of Japan. Founded in 1962, the Nippon Foundation is a philanthropic organization that gives grants for projects in various areas, including international cooperation and human resources development. In the mid-1990s, Gallaudet approached the Nippon Foundation with a proposal to use Gallaudet’s resources for international deaf education. The foundation agreed to contribute $3,000,000 to create what became the World Deaf Leadership Program.

The WDL was originally intended to conduct five-year training programs in foreign countries, in which Gallaudet representatives would provide training and education to the local deaf, and then gradually phase out support to allow the locals to take over the program. The first two sites chosen were Thailand and South Africa.

Today, the WDL program focuses on providing scholarships and internship opportunities for international deaf students.

Joseph Kinner, the donor of this collection, is a longtime member of the Gallaudet government and history faculty. His specialty is African history, and he received a Distinguished University Faculty Award from Gallaudet in 2011. Dr. Kinner was a founding member of the WDL steering committee and was also chair of its executive committee. He also founded Gallaudet’s International Center on Deafness (ICD).