ASL is Awesome for ALL!
NAD Observes WFD International Week
Posted September 19, 2008
The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) encourages local
communities throughout the USA to become part of its ASL is Awesome
for All! campaign, which promotes the long-standing position of the
NAD that American Sign Language (ASL) is a basic human right and the
natural language of the American deaf community.
The NAD seeks to share the benefits of ASL with everyone – it fosters
language development in all babies, whether they are can hear or are
deaf. It is in high demand as a second language being taught in many
high schools and postsecondary programs nationwide. While additional
benefits of ASL continue to be found through research, people of all
ages presently enjoy transcending the limits of spoken language
through ASL usage. “We must work together more vigorously than ever
to bring attention to, elevate and gain greater recognition of ASL as
our human right,” said NAD President Bobbie Beth Scoggins. (NAD
Position Statement on ASL)
The ASL is Awesome for All! campaign also commemorates International
Week of the Deaf, first launched by the World Federation of the Deaf
(WFD) in 1958 and observed annually during the last full week of
September. The week culminates with celebration of International Day
of Sign Languages. Organizations of deaf people worldwide are
encouraged by the WFD to educate the public about and promote the
human and linguistic rights of deaf people, not only during this
official observance but also year-round.
Accordingly, the NAD will have an ongoing listing of local events by
state on its website, ASL is Awesome for All!, with further
announcements about the national campaign to follow.
About NAD
The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) was established in 1880 by
deaf leaders who believed in the right of the American deaf community
to use sign language, to congregate on issues important to them, and
to have its interests represented at the national level. These beliefs
remain true to this day, with American Sign Language as a core value.
As a nonprofit federation, the mission of the NAD is to preserve,
protect, and promote the civil, human, and linguistic rights of deaf
and hard of hearing individuals in the United States of America. The
advocacy scope of the NAD is broad, covering the breadth of a lifetime
and impacting future generations in the areas of early intervention,
education, employment, health care, technology, telecommunications,
youth leadership, and more. For more information, please visit
.
About WFD
The WFD is recognized by the United Nations as an international
non-governmental organization representing approximately 70 million
deaf people worldwide. The WFD mission is to promote the human rights
of deaf people, including the right to sign language, and equal
opportunity in all spheres of life, including access to education and
information. Membership comprises national organizations of deaf
people in 130 countries. The NAD is recognized by the WFD as the
national organizational affiliate representing deaf people in the
United States of America. For more information, please visit
.
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