The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) and the National Football League (NFL) are pleased to announce that a 22 year-old deaf woman, Candice Villesca, from Lewisville, TX will perform the National Anthem and America the Beautiful at Super Bowl XLV in American Sign Language (ASL) on Sunday, February 6, 2011 in Arlington, TX.
The NAD worked closely with the NFL to select the area resident to sign at the Super Bowl. The NAD thanks the NFL for its ongoing recognition and inclusion of people who are deaf or hard of hearing in such an important event.
“ASL is a visual language that is embraced as a legitimate language. The preservation and promotion of ASL is one of the founding principles of the NAD,” said NAD President Bobbie Beth Scoggins. “We deeply appreciate the NFL’s efforts to include and celebrate ASL during one of the most watched television events in America, the Super Bowl, and ensure that it is signed by a deaf or hard of hearing person.”
The NAD also worked closely with the NFL to achieve captioning for all national commercials and promotions during the Super Bowl, a historic achievement. For more information, click here.”