NAD Announces New Ambassador Format in 2014

The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) is pleased to announce that the NAD Miss Deaf America Ambassador Program (MDAAP) will unveil a new program at the 51st Biennial NAD Conference in Louisville, Kentucky from July 3-7, 2012. The 2012 NAD Miss Deaf America Competition, also the 40th anniversary of the event, will mark our farewell to the competition as a pageant for young women.

The new program will not be a pageant. It will showcase young deaf and hard of hearing female and male Americans who vie to become NAD ambassadors. The Youth Strategy Team, appointed by the NAD Board of Directors, will lead the community study and development of the new and modern program. The details of the new program will be announced at the 2012 NAD Conference and will debut at the 2014 NAD Conference.

Held at every NAD Conference since 1972, the Miss Deaf America competition features talented, young female contestants who have won their state association competitions. State contestants are judged across a broad spectrum of categories including community service, perspectives on current issues facing the deaf and hard of hearing community, and poise. The competition winner, Miss Deaf America, serves as an ambassador to the NAD and a role model for deaf and hard of hearing individuals across America.  

“Each woman in the Miss Deaf America Ambassador Program was a role model for young deaf and hard of hearing individuals. We thank the supporters of the program for their years of dedication and look forward to celebrating their accomplishments this summer,” said NAD President Bobbie Beth Scoggins. "The new program will bring together young deaf and hard of hearing individuals who are committed to furthering the NAD mission. It is a significant step in the continued evolution of the program towards empowering tomorrow's leaders."

For further information, please contact Allie Rice, Coordinator of Youth Leadership Programs, at www.nad.org/contactus [2].