National Association of the Deaf

March 6th marks the 18th Anniversary since the Deaf President Now (DPN) protest at Gallaudet University. The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) wishes a happy anniversary to all those who made DPN happen and urges the community to continue to build on the revolution for the self-determination of deaf and hard of hearing people.

"The impact of DPN has reached beyond Gallaudet," said Andrew J. Lange, NAD president, "Without DPN, the world would still view deaf and hard of hearing people as a group of people that need to be compensated for their disability by having hearing administrators. In addition, the world realized that deaf and hard of hearing people make excellent administrators! The outcome of DPN, and the long history of the NAD, has taught us that we are perfectly capable of governing ourselves and determining our own future."

Prior to DPN, the relationship between the NAD and Gallaudet University had been long and fruitful, spanning over one hundred years. During this time, the university’s founder, Edward Miner Gallaudet, gave civil rights speeches at national NAD conventions and the NAD donated the famed Gallaudet-Cogswell statue to the Kendall Green campus. The NAD provided leadership prior to and during the Deaf President Now protest. These examples also demonstrate the interdependent relationship between the two entities.

Fred Weiner, a NAD employee during DPN, describes how the NAD became the ignition for DPN, “The NAD never hesitated in pushing the agenda to get Gallaudet to select its first Deaf President. The moment Dr. Jerry Lee announced his resignation, The NAD Broadcaster immediately came out with an edition declaring that it was time. Therefore, on behalf of the Deaf community, the NAD signaled that this selection was bigger than just Gallaudet. Indeed, it showed that the office of the Gallaudet Presidency had repercussions for all Deaf Americans and that the symbolism of a Deaf person in that office would do more than anything else to improve the lives of Deaf people. Once this issue was cast in stone, there was no turning back.”

Then history was made. To read the full article please goes online and read about the vital role that the NAD had in DPN at:
http://www.nad.org/naddpn

"DPN was a truly a historic occasion that lifted the entire deaf and hard of hearing community to a new level of self-determination and consciousness," said NAD Chief Executive Officer Nancy J. Bloch, "Everyday, the NAD continues the legacy of DPN by empowering deaf and hard of hearing people."