Samantha (Sam) Bragg is a hiker, backpacker, climber, runner, certified wilderness first responder, and certified master educator for Leave No Trace (LNT). Sam received her Master’s in Outdoor Leadership from National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) and Saybrook University in August 2019. As part of her master’s program, she participated in three one-month long expeditions with NOLS: one-month white water canoeing Utah, one-month long canyoneering trip in Utah, and a few weeks long backpacking trip in Alaska. After doing the one-year program with NOLS, Sam started asking herself, “What does it mean to be Deaf in the outdoors?” Join Sam’s presentation to discover how audism bias can influence Deaf folks in the outdoors and how the outdoor industry can benefit from Deaf gain. You will also hear some remarkable and emotional rollercoaster stories about being the only Deaf person in a group of hearing students and instructors in the backcountry for weeks at a time.

• REI Member price: Free
• Non-member price: Free

Register at REI at: https://www.rei.com/events/95387/nols-expeditions-a-deaf-perspective/269899