Deaf Awareness Month Event
Although September is officially designated as Deaf Awareness month, for the staff and board of directors of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services in Grand Rapids, every month is about Deaf awareness.
“Deafness is the least recognized disability,” said D&HHS executive director Deb Atwood. “But for almost three decades now we have worked quietly behind the scenes, advocating for the Deaf, the DeafBlind and the Hard of Hearing in pursuit of all of life’s opportunities.”
Part of that ongoing advocacy will take place at the end of September when D&HHS hosts a special celebration at its new home in the Special Olympics of Michigan building to mark the conclusion of Deaf Awareness month.
Free and open to all (with a $5 donation recommended at the door), the event will be held from 5-8 pm on Thursday, September 28 at 160 68th St SW, Grand Rapids, MI 49548.
Pre-registration is encouraged at https://deafhhs.org/event/deaf-awareness-celebration/
The event will include resource tables, games and food and a chance for the local Deaf community to socialize and celebrate.
Nancy Piersma, the D&HHS community education & advocacy coordinator, is looking forward to her organization hosting an event where Deaf people can come with a sense of pride about their language and culture.
And she thinks Deaf Awareness month is valuable for many.
“It is good to have the hearing world, including hearing family, friends and co-workers be able to learn about the culture, language and history of the Deaf,” she said.
Atwood agreed.
“Educating and raising awareness of our Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of hearing communities is at the forefront of what we do,” said Atwood. “This will be one more opportunity to raise awareness and to celebrate together.”
D&HHS board member Mickey Carolan is a CODA (Child of Deaf Adults) and working on a memoir of his life as the son of two Deaf parents. He said he appreciates the work of D&HHS and the designation of September as Deaf Awareness Month.
“Anytime we can bring more visibility and awareness around the issues that face the Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing, that’s a good thing,” he said. “My parents are my two biggest heroes. It’s one of the reasons I wrote my book. I’m all about putting the spotlight on the community I grew up in.”
Atwood said that estimates show about 13 percent of the U.S. is Deaf or Hard of Hearing. In addition, more than 90 percent of Deaf children are born to hearing parents.
That latter statistic is why D&HHS is a firm believer in the power of American Sign Language as a terrific tool by which Deaf children and their families can communicate, offering numerous ASL classes both in person and online.
Interestingly, Atwood said, there is no universal sign language with estimates ranging from anywhere between 100 and 300 different sign languages in use today around the world.
“That’s just one more misconception about the Deaf,” she said with a laugh. “There are many, but we are working every day to help clear them up. We’ll keep doing so in September but beyond that, we’re here for the long haul and will continue this work all year long.”