For the past 26 years Deaf History Month has been celebrated from March 13th to April 15th to commemorate and celebrate the rich culture of the Deaf Community. This year, 2022, will be the first year Deaf History Month will start April 1st and go through April 30th. This decision comes from the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) after conferring with NAD’s Deaf Culture and History Section (DCHS), various stakeholders, and representatives from marginalized Deaf organizations.

A little context for those who may not know, if a person physiologically cannot hear, they are considered “deaf”. However, if a person cannot hear and they use sign language to communicate with others, they are considered “Deaf” with a capital ‘d’ to represent all the customs, norms, and culture that goes along with visual communication. There is a lot of pride in finding one’s identity and connecting with others -especially in the face of adversity or discrimination.

The original timeframe for Deaf History Month was set with the intention of including and celebrating key historical dates. Specifically…

March 13th, 1988: the day the first Deaf university president took office after a week-long, student-led, protest known as Deaf President Now.

April 8th, 1864: when the charter for Gallaudet University, the first all Deaf university in America, was signed by Abraham Lincoln.

April 15th, 1817: American School for the Deaf opened in Hartford, Connecticut as the first all Deaf public school.

However, 2022 will be the first year we celebrate starting April 1st through the 30th. This decision was made for two reason. The first reason being  for simplicity sake, the full month of April is easier to remember than the middle of one month to the middle of another month. The second reason was to decentralize the focus from white Deaf history to more broadly include BIPOC members of the community.

Here is a video from the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) explaining the decision (captions are provided for those who don’t know ASL).

http://https://youtu.be/FPRONDPp0mQ

If you are looking for ways to celebrate Deaf History Month, here are some suggestions:

  • Take an ASL class…and make sure the teacher is Deaf!! Not only are you supporting the work of a Deaf professional, you are also learning how to communicate with others in your community.
  • Stop using the term “hearing impaired”. The word “impaired” implies something is wrong with an individual whereas the Deaf community views themselves simply as a language minority. “Deaf” is not a dirty word, don’t be afraid to say it.
  • Learn the rights and responsibilities of providing appropriate accommodations here.
  • Read books by Deaf authors, here are a few I recommend: The words in my hands by Asphyxia  which is a representation of growing up Deaf, or El Deafo by Cece Bell which is a great representation of growing up deaf. You can read the two and compare how their challenges were similar and where they were different as deaf/Deaf individuals . Or for an adult option, you can read the autobiography Haben: the deafblind woman who conquered Harvard Law.

Lastly to all Deaf, deaf, deafblind, and Deaf+ members of the Floyd County Library community: please know that you are welcome here and you are cherished.