National Association of the Deaf

The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) is deeply saddened by disaster resulting from the recent earthquake in Haiti. The thoughts and prayers of our board, staff, membership and community go out to those affected by this tragedy.

The magnitude of suffering has prompted inquiries from concerned deaf and hard of hearing people asking how they can provide aid to deaf and hard of hearing people in Haiti and advocate on their behalf. The NAD urges these prospective donors to give support to aid organizations.

The NAD has advocated for emergency preparedness policy issues in the United States to ensure that first responders provide accessible communication to deaf and hard of hearing people in distress. In emergencies, up-to-date information can be life-saving but such information is often not accessible to deaf and hard of hearing people.

We believe that deaf and hard of hearing people around the world deserve this level of access and therefore ask the aid organizations rushing to help the people of Haiti to provide accessible communication for its deaf and hard of hearing people.

"The NAD is anguished by the tragedy in Haiti. Our hearts go out to them. We urge the community to advocate on behalf of deaf and hard of hearing people in the country by giving support to aid organizations and asking them to ensure that their communications are accessible for deaf and hard of hearing people," said Bobbie Beth Scoggins, NAD President.