NAD Moves to New Headquarters at End of March

The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) will move at the end of this month to its new Headquarters offices in downtown Silver Spring, a few blocks away from its old building. The current Halex House location has been home to the NAD Headquarters for the past 35 years, is now in the process of being sold.

"It was a proud moment in the history of the deaf and hard of hearing community when the National Association of the Deaf purchased Halex House in 1971 with donations from supporters around the country," said NAD President Andrew J. Lange. "These supporters and others who contributed to pay off the mortgage in 2002 are making it possible for the NAD to shift gears and begin plans to build a deaf-friendly NAD Headquarters that will be a center for community involvement."

The NAD Board of Directors made the decision to sell Halex House more than a year ago. The building needed millions of dollars in renovations to provide adequate and safe working conditions – money that the NAD does not have. The NAD Board also considered constructing a new building on the land, but realized that this, too, would require millions for an architectural plan, construction, and temporary staff relocation.

The real estate market in downtown Silver Spring has become very attractive with its booming development including the relocation of Discovery Channel headquarters, new retail outlets, restaurants, and office space. Several buyers expressed interest in the NAD property, and the NAD has been working with a prospective purchaser since last fall.

"Halex House sale net proceeds will be invested with two overriding objectives: preservation of principal funds and generation of interest income. The latter will enable the NAD to cover lease expenses for its new Headquarters offices in downtown Silver Spring," said Nancy J. Bloch, NAD Chief Executive Officer. "Clearly, the original investment in Halex House has grown in such a way that the NAD is now able to ‘shift gears’ and begin planning for the next and most extraordinary chapter in its illustrious 125-year history."

Time Capsule

On April 22, 1982, NAD staff members, tenants and friends buried a Time Capsule in front of Halex House. The Time Capsule was a gift of the Alabama Association of the Deaf and was presented to the NAD during the Centennial Conference in 1980 in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Time Capsule contains historical documents, materials and objects contributed by State Associations, organizations and agencies of, by and for deaf people. The Time Capsule is scheduled to be opened in 2080 on NAD’s 200th anniversary. The Time Capsule will be moved to the new NAD Headquarters, where it will be put on display.

New NAD Headquarters "Look"

The NAD is moving to a modernized and visually pleasing environment, where it expects to bring in state-of-the-art video communications to showcase the many possibilities that affordable and accessible broadband holds for American Sign Language (ASL) users. Over time, the new Headquarters space will be complemented by works of art by established as well as up-and-coming American deaf artists. Also planned are exhibit displays to highlight the 125-year advocacy history of the NAD to complement the visual emphasis of the new offices.

Mailing Address:
The new address, effective March 30, 2006 is:

National Association of the Deaf
8630 Fenton Street, Suite 820
Silver Spring, MD 20910

Telephone Numbers:
All telephone numbers for the NAD remain the same.
301-587-1788 Voice
301-587-1789 TTY
301-587-1791 FAX