On the 18 July 2011, Drum Café opened the conference with an interactive drumming experience for 2,000 people, most of whom are deaf.
The World Congress of the World Federation of the Deaf is held every four years at different destinations around the world.
In July 2011, South Africa showcased itself to the international deaf community when the Deaf Federation of South Africa hosted the XVI World Congress.
The World Congress is considered to be the most significant gathering of the deaf community in the professional calendar and offers opportunities for current and future issues to be presented and considered.
The "Global Deaf Renaissance" was the theme for the XVI World Congress, a worldwide community made up of people from many different countries, races, cultures and religions who all have a common unifying factor — they are all deaf and share the deaf culture and experience.
