NAD President’s Blog

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As president of the National Association of the Deaf, I want to welcome you to the website of the 49th Biennial NAD Conference!

I encourage you to explore all of the information on these pages, starting with www.nad.org/2008Conf and make plans to attend a weeklong event you will never forget! Be sure to look at all of conference information choices on the left navigation bar.

This year’s conference theme has two parts: “Let the Good Times Roll!” for the easy and carefree atmosphere of New Orleans and “Together, We Move Forward” to emphasize that we must all work together for our future. We will have the support of the Louisiana Association of the Deaf, in addition to our many corporate sponsors.

The 2008 NAD Conference will be held at the New Orleans Marriott, which is located near the historic French Quarter. You will be steps away from Bourbon Street, the riverfront, museums for the whole family, art and antique shops and world-class restaurants. The French Quarter has a reputation as one of the world’s most famous and fascinating places to visit. Explore the city!

People attend biennial NAD Conferences for many different reasons - catching up with friends, attending a variety of workshops to enhance their careers and personal knowledge; browse the always popular exhibit hall! Many things will be happening - let me highlight some of the activities we will have during the conference week:

The welcome ceremony on Monday evening July 7 will get you into a New Orleans mood that will energize you for the entire week - we’ve made changes to the opening program that will be inspiring!

On Tuesday evening July 8, we will have a first for the NAD Conference - ASL Live! loosely based on the popular American Idol TV show. This will be a night of entertainment where talented signers will compete for votes from the audience and judges!

The always popular College Bowl is on Wednesday evening July 9 and you won’t want to miss this contest of brains and quick thinking between California State University at Northridge, Gallaudet University, National Technical Institute for the Deaf, and for the first time, we may even have a fourth team on stage!

We have two very special plenary keynotes. On Thursday, July 10, Wilma Newhoudt-Druchen from South Africa will speak on Diversity and Human Rights from an international perspective. On Friday, July 11, MJ Bienvenu will speak on Fighting “Isms” to Build a Strong Deaf Community, and also a stronger NAD. You won’t want to miss these!

Thursday evening July 10 is the Miss Deaf America Finals - an opportunity to see the great talent, poise, and brain power among young women leaders across the nation. Which state contestant will be crowned the next Miss Deaf America? Come and find out!

The Conference will end on Friday evening July 11 with a Masquerade Ball and Banquet, where you’ll dress up and dine in style. Guess who is hiding behind traditional New Orleans masks as enjoy the entertainment we’ve planned.

Biennial conferences are also the time to conduct the business of the NAD and to set priorities for the NAD. On the morning of July 7, individual NAD members will vote on conference motions and send the top 30 to the Council of Representatives. Delegates from state associations and affiliate organizations and other groups will convene on the afternoon of July 7 and all day on July 8 to report on accomplishments over the past two years, and vote on motions and bylaws changes for the next two years. Elections for board members will take place the morning of July 11, an event you will not want to miss!

You have several registration choices.

If you plan to attend most of the Conference, you save money by purchasing the Let the Good Times Roll “Almost Everything” Early Bird II Combo - the deadline is May 31, 2008. Meal events are optional, you can add whatever you choose. No combos will be sold during conference week.

The Cajun “You Pick” Non-Combo registration is perfect for individuals who plan to attend the Conference for a few days - you would pay a “one-time” basic registration fee in addition to the cost of any individual events you want to attend.

There’s more that will be happening, come and find out!

Make your plans to attend now! Don’t wait until the last minute. Avoid lines and save money by registering now! Remember, the deadline for the “Almost Everything” Early Bird II Combo registration (online & offline) is May 31, 2008

We look forward to your being with us in New Orleans! Register now, make your hotel and transportation plans, so that we can move the NAD forward - together!

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Wooo! I want to let you know that we – the NAD Board and staff – are truly thrilled with the strong show of support in response to NAD action in the past two weeks.

Thank you for your wonderful comments, emails, and handwaves in support of the new NAD position statement on American Sign Language and the recent NAD response to AGBell. It is clear that your passion for the NAD is very much alive and strong!

The strength of the NAD depends on every one of you. With every one of you as a member of the NAD, we can become even stronger! If you are already a member or recently joined, wonderful! If you are not, join now! It’s really easy, go to www.nad.org/join.

Everyone, let’s start right now – by creating a powerful wave across America! This wave can be a ripple effect that grows stronger every day – with every one of you reaching out to others, encouraging them to join with you in creating an even stronger and more powerful NAD!

Onwards and upwards!

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February 7, 2008

Karen Youdelman, President
Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
3417 Volta Place, NW
Washington, DC 20007

Dear President Youdelman,

On behalf of the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) Board of Directors, staff, members, and supporters, I am responding to the recent letter that you wrote to PepsiCo representing the Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (AGBell). Specifically, I want to express our disappointment.

In 1880, the NAD was established 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 (ASL) as a core value. As a consumer-based nonprofit federation, the mission of the NAD is to promote, protect, and preserve the civil, human, and linguistic rights of deaf Americans.

The NAD represents children and adults who are deaf, hard of hearing, late deafened, or deaf-blind. We welcome all people who value ASL, and we promote opportunities for the acquisition and use of ASL in addition to English in its various forms, with or without the use of hearing technologies, to enable successful participation in all aspects of American society, including the deaf community.

We are disappointed with the negative tone of your letter and obvious lack of respect for deaf people who use ASL. We are also sensitive to the fact that many members of the AGBell deaf and hard of hearing section know and use ASL. We find it deplorable that AGBell continues to perpetuate the myth that the use of ASL isolates deaf people from mainstream society, a stereotype that is far from the truth. We know that this is not the first time that AGBell has reacted in this manner to high-profile use of ASL, which AGBell may perceive as detracting from its exclusive focus on speaking and listening. As such, we are not surprised that AGBell continues to close its eyes to successful deaf ASL users as positive role models.

In the view of the NAD, every deaf person has a unique place in American society, with basic human rights with respect to identity, cultural affiliation, and self-expression. This viewpoint, with emphasis on diversity and inclusiveness, forms the foundation for our existence as an organization and as a community.

We expect the same respect from AGBell on behalf of the community we represent.

Sincerely,

Bobbie Beth Scoggins
President

To see NAD response on official letterhead, click here

To see the AGBell letter to PepsiCo, click here

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(To read press release, click here)

AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE
Position Statement
National Association of the Deaf

“As long as we have deaf people on earth, we will have signs…”
George Veditz, Preservation of Sign Language, 1913

In 1880, the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) was established 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 (ASL) as a core value.

The NAD reaffirms its position that acquisition of language from birth is a human right for every person, and that deaf infants and children should be given the opportunity to acquire and develop proficiency in ASL as early as possible. This position is also in line with the stance of the World Federation of the Deaf and the United Nations on human rights, including the recognition of sign languages.

ASL as a Language

ASL is the recognized sign language of the deaf community in the United States of America. As is the case with standardized spoken, written, and signed languages worldwide, ASL conforms to linguistic principles (e.g., semantics, syntax, morphology, phonology, and pragmatics). The complex visual-spatial linguistic structure of ASL is distinct from English, a linear, sequential language based on auditory processes.

As with other languages, native fluency in ASL is achieved through exposure and interaction early in life. Learning of ASL as an additional language can also begin at any time and continue over the course of a lifetime.

ASL and Early Development

The earliest years of a child’s life are the most critical for language acquisition, a time when the foundation is formed for cognitive and literacy development. Babies are born with the innate ability to acquire languages accessible to them and used by their families and care providers. Language competency is essential for cognitive, social, emotional, and psychological development. The NAD takes the position that as a fully accessible visual language, ASL should be made available to every deaf infant, in addition to any assistive technologies that may be used to take advantage of the deaf infant’s access to the language(s) used by their families and care providers.

The NAD supports maximizing language proficiency in deaf infants through the implementation of a dual language approach; that is, incorporating early acquisition and learning of ASL and English. Furthermore, the NAD is strongly committed to ensuring that parents of newly identified deaf infants and children receive accurate information about the benefits of acquiring and developing proficiency in both languages.

ASL in the Home and at School

Preparing deaf children to achieve optimal linguistic fluency in both ASL and English enables them to later engage in meaningful adult discourse as fully participating, contributing, and productive members of American society.

The NAD urges parents of deaf infants and children to learn about the benefits of the dual language approach (ASL and English) and the rich heritage of the American deaf community. The NAD also urges its affiliates and individual members to welcome deaf children and their families into the deaf community, to work with these families in becoming familiar with the lives and successes of deaf persons, to assist them in learning ASL, and to serve as a resource and source of support.

Educational programs serving deaf students nationwide are increasingly adopting a dual language approach to educating deaf children, based on similar linguistic principles and practices for other world languages which promote learning more than one language as early as feasible. Language and cultural competencies also contribute to healthy development of identity and self-esteem in deaf children, including fluid movement between the deaf and hearing communities.

Programs serving deaf infants and children and their families should provide ASL immersion opportunities for families of newly identified deaf infants and children. Specifically, the NAD takes the position that these programs should involve interaction and discourse with ASL-fluent members of the American deaf community, including parents of deaf children. Early intervention, pre-school, elementary and secondary education personnel should have the requisite ASL and English competencies.

The NAD reiterates its position that acquisition of language from birth is a human right for every person, and that deaf infants and children should be given the opportunity to acquire and develop proficiency in American Sign Language (ASL) as early as possible.

Approved January 2008 by the NAD Board of Directors

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(*Text below is an English translation of the ASL video message*)

Happy New Year, everyone!

The recent holiday season was a time to be thankful, express appreciation to those we care about, and give to causes we believe in. Your support of the NAD matters greatly, very much so. With your support, the NAD can fight more effectively for the human, and language rights of deaf Americans. Thank you, from my heart!

It’s time now to reflect on what the NAD has accomplished in 2007…

As president, I have been working with the Board to raise standards by using what is known as the Carver model of policy governance. Positive change is already happening because we are using the ‘one voice’ principle and building a greater sense of accountability — the results of which you will see over the next several years. The Board is also working on modifications to the mission and vision statements of the NAD, including a new values statement. We’ve had three board meetings with two board member replacements to date… and three more board meetings to be held (the next two in Santa Fe, NM and Rochester, NY) before we get to this summer’s biennial national conference in New Orleans.

Our two strategic teams — Diversity and Vision 2020 — along with our five standing committees — Development, Finance, Governance, Membership, and Public Policy — are very hard at work; you will see the results of their efforts in New Orleans this summer. I am very grateful to the chairs and members for their commitment and desire to create a NAD climate of forward movement and positive change!

Diversity is more than just a buzz word with us - it has become a core value. The NAD Board has been undergoing diversity training, which was also carried out at last fall’s regional conferences. We seek to increase the diversity of NAD membership, and to do this, we must create an inclusive environment. Attitudes within must also change, so that the NAD can be more welcoming and involve everyone in being change agents for the future of our beloved community.

Another core value is American Sign Language. The NAD will be reaffirming its historic stance on ASL shortly, with the release of a position statement that also reflects the advocacy philosophy of the NAD with regard to the importance of ASL, especially for deaf babies and children. We are in total agreement with the fact that “As long as there are deaf people, there will be signs…” — a famous quotation by George Veditz, who was the seventh president of the NAD.

In January 2007, the NAD proudly attended the Winter Deaflympics in Salt Lake City on behalf of the USA deaf community. The NAD also took part in numerous national conferences — Deaf People of Color, Black Deaf Advocates, Asian Deaf Congress, Hispanic Deaf Council, among others. Many at these events were excited and enthusiastic about the future plans of the NAD, expressing a desire to become involved! And last fall we had a highly successful Junior NAD National Conference in Arizona, an event that will forever be etched in the minds of our deaf youth– who are our future leaders!

Change within NAD has definitely begun!

We’ve completed a year of beautiful, redesigned, and lovely NADmag issues - six of them to date, with the January-February 2008 issue just sent to the printer. They’re wonderful, every two months; I look forward to receiving my issue, and many people all over the country tell me how much they enjoy reading the stories and articles in these.

As we look ahead to 2008, many wonderful things are in store, with the New Orleans conference just around the corner!

There’s a new NAD in Action hot link on the web home page, where you can check for updates on advocacy activities, in addition to the information that is posted under Latest News, in Advocacy blogs, and in the e-zine archives on the home page.

The ‘look’ of the NAD web home page is also changing; we’re hoping to create more vlogs during 2008, too!

On the international front, we’re building on last summer’s World Congress of the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD) in Madrid, planning way ahead for structural changes that will be more in line with the human and language rights focus of the WFD. The NAD, as you know, represents the USA to the WFD - only one national organization in each country worldwide is recognized by the WFD as its official national affiliate. Thanks to Bernard Bragg and sponsors of his Theatre in the Sky tour during 2007, the NAD was able to give vital financial support to WFD, specifically for human rights training efforts.

With the launch of the NAD Across America campaign last November, we are seeing increased interest in the NAD by prospective members, pride in those who are already members, which is truly exciting! Excitement is in the air! Join us in filling up the entire U.S.A. with members, making the NAD stronger and building the future NAD online community, which will serve as a meeting point where we can support and work with others in creating ripple effects of change all across America!

This is not all — I’ll keep you posted as things unfold during 2008. As you can see, I am committed to creating change on all levels!

If you haven’t become a member yet — join now and become part of NAD Across America! It’s easy — go to www.nad.org/join. If you’re already a member, bring your family, friends, neighbors, and others on board!

Onwards to New Orleans!

Visit here to see President Bobbie Beth Scoggins’ NAD Across America introduction vlog!

(*Text below is an English translation of the ASL video message*)

Deaf … D E A F America.

When I first wrote the article, I pondered what to say as the NAD President. This was my first article, this goes back to the April 2006 – December 2006 issue of the NADmag, page 5, entitled “Together, We Move Forward”.

“I urge each one of you to join us in making a difference to a deaf child, a late-deafened senior citizen, a hard of hearing athlete or oral deaf advocate by applying on line: www.nad.org/makeadifference.

Together, We Move Forward is a true proactive adage that will inspire us to build a powerful group of individuals with hearing losses to move forward in Deaf America.”

This is my quote.

[George Veditz quote shown on screen]

The NAD has always been a signing community and always will be. Let’s not get ourselves STUCK on labels and let’s focus on the important issues; our legacy for future generations, children, our right to self-determination, and our common experiences on what it is to be DEAF. We are just DEAF.

NAD Response to Flurries of Vlogs and Blogs

I want to applaud each and every one of you who has given feedback and taken a professional approach to challenging the NAD and me on what we say, write and do. We have all engaged in a very healthy discussion which has moved us all forward. NAD represents all of us and I, as NAD president know, just as all of you know, that your comments, statements, vlogs, blogs, letters and emails are taken very seriously.

The debate about “hearing loss” is healthy. As your president, I need to make sure all groups including hearing individuals who support our goals, are valued and feel part of the NAD family.

I was elected as President to represent NAD and my service can only be as successful as my dialogue with NAD members. I can’t lead this organization alone, we must do that together. My articles and vlogs are part of that dialogue and your feedback, whether positive or not, is essential to me and the NAD.

There have been recent discussions about my choice of words describing deaf and hard of hearing people as ‘individuals with hearing loss.’ These vlogs, blogs and public comments at each site are excellent feedback. Since the 1880s, you have to remember that NAD has always been deaf. We have to remember why we formed NAD. Why? We were banned from using sign language and we responded by establishing the organization known as NAD and there is strong solidarity within the organization today.

If you are concerned at any time about NAD, my service, our advocacy priorities and the direction that NAD is taking, please feel free to contact the NAD Board, myself, or your state associations and affiliates. We work tirelessly to make sure our civil rights are intact and for us rightfully to be Deaf Americans.

We specifically want to respond to some of your comments listed on my vlogs. I wanted to respond earlier, but I have been very busy dealing with a variety of issues. One comment I was particularly fascinated with was the concept of the Mutual Alliance Plan, which creates a support system of collaboration with state associations, and was proposed by Fred Schreiber, the first Executive Director of NAD. This is an important concept that we need to revisit. There have been comments from diverse groups such as Deaf Blind, Deaf and CP and Deaf Seniors, we NEED your ideas.

As you sit watching and thinking; I want to get involved and I want to participate, but how do I do this? NAD may feel far away from you, but through vlogs we lessen the gap and we feel closer. You can start to make a difference in our lives by joining your state association. Just imagine if we have all individuals joining in fifty state associations and affiliates, with all of you joining the NAD! This would create a powerful force that would get attention from our politicians to deal with our issues.

Go to your state association and find out what they plan to do on YOUR behalf - here is the link, www.nad.org/saconfs. There you will find the locations of meetings in your state this summer.

I especially want to thank the bloggers and vloggers for commenting on issues that started this healthy dialogue, which is a true roadmap to a more powerful Deaf America and a more powerful National Association of the Deaf.

Join us and make a difference!

You may wonder why I’m standing here in front of these two statues, “PAH”. During the Deaf President Now protest at Gallaudet University in 1988 we were inspired by the experience. “PAH” was the artwork created to reflect that experience.

(*Text below is an English translation of the ASL video message*)

As President of the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) I am Bobbie Beth Scoggins, I am delighted that PBS deemed the program Through Deaf Eyes an important historical documentary worth airing nationally. Through my work as Executive Director of the Kentucky Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and in partnership with the Kentucky Educational Television Network, I hosted a panel discussion and preview of clips from the film last Saturday evening. The diverse reactions from those in attendance opened doors for dialogue about “what it’s like to be a deaf person today.”

• One hard of hearing panel member stated she had no idea there was such a rich history, our deaf culture. Now she understood the unity within the deaf community, which she has witnessed but has often been jealous of, because deaf people have such a cultural bond.

• Another panel member, a young deaf upcoming leader, stated that although he could not identify with all aspects of the film, he could see how history had influenced the community as a whole and he was grateful for the inspiration it gave him to strive for a brighter future.

• Several panel members reiterated the fact that American Sign Language continues to be the thread that runs through deaf history and its presence has impacted the lives of each of us within the community and continues to impact our futures.

NAD and its members hope that this documentary brought forth a greater understanding and awareness of deaf culture and history to the general public, and gives us as a community another opportunity to look at ourselves as a rich and diverse group. The film inspired each of us to determine how we can work together to provide a more positive synergy as we move forward in defining ourselves as both a culture and as individuals.

That is very relevant to the NAD theme, “Together we move forward!”

TOGETHER, WE MOVE FORWARD!