
Joel Barish is an adventurer who has visited 105+ nations worldwide to live as much of the Deaf experience as possible. Joel has discovered Deaf individuals in every corner and has shared thousands of unique stories with others with sign language videos and social media.
As the co-founder of DeafNation, Joel uses his platform to host two popular programs widely distributed via social media.
The first, the acclaimed No Barriers with Joel Barish, is an inspiring, adventurous travelogue in Sign Language that allows viewers to join Joel as he tastes unique cuisine, meets inspirational Deaf business owners, and explains the significance of various landmarks he visits. Notable episodes include going 6,500 feet under the earth to mine gold with a Deaf South African gold miner and hunting for survival while boating with Deaf native Inuit in Greenland.
Joel is invested in supporting local Deaf communities in his travels and videos, working with local tourism offices to help increase awareness and accessibility for traveling Deaf individuals. In his travels, videos, and interactions with others, Joel emphasizes patronage of Deaf-owned businesses and companies accessible for traveling Deaf individuals. The No Barriers with Joel Barish audience is highly engaged, and many follow in his footsteps, taking similar travel itineraries as seen in the show. Hundreds of shows have created an excellent avenue for the signing community to learn about native Deaf communities in other places.
Coffee With Joel Barish is a talk show distributed on social media where Joel interviews notable Deaf people on various topics. Joel’s guests include leaders, politicians, and individuals with interesting professions or experiences, and covers topics that are interesting and relevant to the Deaf and signing community.
Joel enjoys cycling, photography, and spending time with his family in his spare time.
Meet with Joel Barish in Person
- March 4, 2025 – St. Augustine, Florida 6:00 pm
- March 5, 2025 – Wildwood, Florida 5:30 pm
- March 21, 2025 – Louisville, KY 6:00 pm
- April 3, 2025 – Greensboro, North Carolina 5:30 pm
- April 5, 2025 – Greensboro DeafNation Expo
- April 12, 2025 – Oklahoma City DeafNation Expo
- July 22-24, 2025 – DeafNation World Expo: Las Vegas, NV
- October 11, 2025 –Columbus DeafNation Expo
- November 1, 2025 – Chicago DeafNation Expo