"Celebrate ASL!" Nationwide Event Listing
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Celebrate ASL! NAD Observes WFD International Day of Sign Languages
The NAD and the ASL Deaf Studies Department at Gallaudet University held a Celebrate ASL! event on Friday, September 28 on the front steps of Chapel Hall at Gallaudet University. A crowd of about 75 gathered on this sunny day in observance of the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD) International Day of Sign Languages. Community leaders shared inspirational messages of the acceptance and recognition of American Sign Language (ASL) as a basic human right.
Dr. Yerker Andersson, NAD Board Member and past president of the WFD, told the audience of Gallaudet and MSSD students, faculty, staff and campus visitors that the WFD International Week of the Deaf has been celebrated in most countries since the 1950s with demonstrations, festivals, meetings with government officials and educating hearing people about ASL and Deaf Culture. He reported that at the recent WFD General Assembly held in July in Spain, delegates voted that recognition of sign language should be the first step to more human rights. According to Andersson, about 40 countries recognize their sign languages in various ways.

Nancy J. Bloch, NAD Chief Executive Officer, welcomed the crowd and emphasized that the advocacy work of the NAD is tied to the concept that ASL is the natural language of the American deaf community and that “we continually seek ways to expand the acceptance and recognition of ASL as a basic human right across many areas such as education, employment, health care, social services, technology, telecommunications and much more.”

In addition to Dr. Andersson and Nancy Bloch and NAD Board Member Thuan Nguyen, other speakers included: Bernard Bragg (Performing Artist), Russell Harvard (GU Student/Theatre Arts); Steve Weiner (GU Provost); MJ Bienvenu (Chair, GU ASL & Deaf Studies); Melissa Malzkuhn (WFD Youth Section Secretary and GU Grad Student); Robert McConnell (GU SBG President); Christen Szymanski (GU Graduate Student Association President); Ricardo Lopez (National Literary Society for the Deaf President); Lee Smith (Maryland Association of the Deaf President); Janie Golightly (DC Association of the Deaf Representative); Gary Viall (Virginia Association of the Deaf Representative).

Click here for NAD press release details
Click here to link to NAD vlog
Click here to see WFD announcement
Click here to view NAD Celebrate ASL! video highlights
Yes! My local community will join in to "Celebrate ASL!" with the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) in observance of World Federation of the Deaf (WFD) International Day of Sign Languages (during WFD International Week of the Deaf). Please include our event in the central NAD listing below (click here).
"Celebrate ASL!" Nationwide Event Listing
Last updated September 27, 2007
Washington, DC
Celebrate ASL!
National Association of the Deaf (NAD)
with Gallaudet ASL & Deaf Studies Department
Friday, September 28, 2007
2:00 - 4:00 pm
Chapel Hill - Front Steps
Gallaudet University
800 Florida Avenue NE
Washington, DC 20002
www.nad.org/CelebrateASL
Contact: www.nad.org/contactus
Albuquerque, NM
New Mexico Sign 'n Run
New Mexico Association of the Deaf
Sunday, September 23, 2007
8:00 am - 5:00 pm
La Cueva High School
Albuquerque, NM
Contact: Mark Apodaca at MDAPODACA@aol.com
Austin, TX
TSD Homecoming
TSD Alumni Association
Friday, September 21, 2007
1:00 - 3:00 pm
Austin Association of the Deaf
www.tsdaa.org
Contact: Thomas Becker at TAB77TSDAA@yahoo.com
Canada
International Day of Sign Language Celebrations
Canada
http://www.omegait.net/slr-canada/en/index.php?menu=home
Castro Valley, CA
Julie' 6th Annual Tea Party
DeafHope
Saturday, September 29, 2007
1:00 - 6:00 pm
6129 Mt.Olympus Drive
Castro Valley, CA 94552
www.Deaf-Hope.org
Contact: Julie Rems-Smario at Julie@Deaf-Hope.org
Cedar Rapids, IA
Iowans to join in to Celebrate ASL and Deaf People!
Deaf Community of Iowa City and Cedar Rapids
Saturday, September 29, 2007
2:00 - 4:00 pm
Kirkwood Community College
Linn Hall Conference room A & B
Cedar Rapids, IA
Contact: Bob Vizzini at rvizzin@kirkwood.edu
Charlotte, NC
Celebrate ASL! & Deaf Awarness Week Silent Dinner
Charlotte Association of the Deaf and Central Piedmont Community College ASL/Interpreter Education
Friday, September 28, 2007
6:00 - 9:00 pm
Southpark Mall, food court area
Charlotte, NC
Contact: Donna McCord-Smolik Francie Nazloo at GFLLNazloo@aol.com
Frankfort, KY
An Introduction to Deaf Culture (Kentucky Folklife Festival)
Kentucky Commission on the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Friday, September 21, 2007
2:30 - 4:30 pm
Old State Capitol
Frankfort, KY
Contact: Elden May at elden.may@ky.gov
Fremont, CA
California School for the Deaf-Fremont
http://www.csdf.k12.ca.us/sign/idsl.html
Gainesville, FL
Santa Fe Community College Celebrate ASL Day!
Santa Fe Community College Signing Saints Club and Humanities & Foreign Language Dept
Friday, September 28, 2007
12:00 - 3:00 pm
Outside of P Building
Santa Fe Community College
3000 NW 83rd Street
Gainesville, FL 32606-6210
www.sfcc.edu
Contact: Stephen Hardy at stephen.hardy@sfcc.edu
Minneapolis, MN
International Day of Sign Languages
Saturday, September 29, 2007
2:00 - 4:00 pm
Right outside of WCCO
90 S. 11th Street
Minneapolis, MN 55403
www.deafminnesota.com
Contact: John Egbert at bassegbert@mac.com
Norfolk, VA
Deaf People Unite!
Southeastern Virginia Society of the Deaf
Saturday, September 29, 2007
2:00 - 4:00 pm
City Hall
Norfolk, VA
www.vbdeaf.com
Contact: Star Grieser at President@Vbdeaf.com
Norfolk, VA
Deaf Awareness Day
Endependence Center
Thursday, October 4, 2007
10:00 am - 3:00 pm
6300 E. Virginia Beach Blvd
Norfolk, VA
Contact: Brenda Estes at bestes1973@sprint.blackberry.net
North Highlands, CA
Telethon in ASL
NorCal Ctr on Deafness
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
8:00 am - 8:00 pm
4708 Roseville Rd Suite 111
North Highlands, CA 95660
www.norcalcenter.org
Contact: Sheri Farinha Mutti at SFarinha@norcalcenter.org
Norton, VA
SWVA Deaf Awareness Day
SWVA Coalition
Saturday, September 29, 2007
8:00 am - 4:00 pm
Connie Reasor Center, 860 Park Ave
Norton, VA
Contact: Sue Graham at sueg@logisticare.com
Olathe, KS
Celebrate ASL!
Kansas Association of the Deaf
Friday, September 28, 2007
Kansas School for the Deaf
450 E. Park Street
Olathe, KS 66061
Contact: Chuck Theel at ctheel@ksd.state.ks.us
Pensacola FL
Gulf Coast Deaf Festival
Deaf & Hard of Hearing Services of NWFL
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Festival: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm. Celebrate ASL! Presentation: 3:30 - 4:00pm
Bayview Community Center
2000 E. Lloyd St.
Pensacola, FL 32503
www.dhhsnwfl.org
Contact: Jimmy Peterson at info@dhhsnwfl.org
Rochester, NY
Rally/March for the International Day of Deaf People and Sign Languages
Come to the first annual Rally/March on
Saturday, September 29, 2007
1:45 pm
NTID "D" Parking Lot
Rochester, NY
Contact: Pamela Conley at prcnge@rit.edu for more information
Sacramento, CA
A Deaf Comedy Show
NorCal Center on Deafness
Friday, September 28, 2007
Doors open at 7:00 pm
Fulton El Camino Recreation & Park District 2201 Cottage Way
Sacramento, CA 95825
www.norcalcenter.org
Contact: Sheri Farinha Mutti at SFarinha@norcalcenter.org
$15 per person in advance, $20 at the door
Sacramento, CA
ASL film WRONG GAME by Mark Wood
NorCal Center on Deafness
Saturday, September 29, 2007
7:00 - 11:00 pm
Natomas High School Theatre 3301 Fong Ranch Rd.
Sacramento, CA 95833
www.norcalcenter.org
Contact: Sheri Farinha Mutti at SFarinha@norcalcenter.org
$15 per person in advance, $20 at the door
Slippery Rock, PA
Deaf Awareness Day
Slippery Rock University American Sign Language Club
Thursday, September 27, 2007
9:00 am - 3:00 pm
Campus of Slippery Rock University
1 Morrow Way
Slippery Rock, PA 16057
Contact: Myra Balok, Ph.D., Advisor at myra.balok@sru.edu
Topeka, KS
Celebrate ASL! with Melanie McKay-Cody
Kansas Association of the Deaf
Friday, September 28, 2007
For details about ASL and NAISL, contact Melanie McKay-Cody.
Contact: Melanie McKay-Cody at mmckaycody@tmail.com.
Westminster, MD
ASL Lunch
Eye-2-Eye
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
12:00 - 1:00 pm
PUB at McDaniel College
Contact: Mark Rust at mrust@mcdaniel.edu
Wichita, KS
Celebrate ASL!
Kansas Association of the Deaf
Friday, September 28, 2007
6:00 - 8:00pm
Warren Plaza in Old Town Wichita located at 300 block Mead
Contact: Shane Dundas at WichitaDeafGuy@gmail.com
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