Introduction of Deaf Awareness Week

Messages from RelayNC DSDHH FacebookWhat Does Self-Advocacy Mean?

Sign-A-Thon at HickorySign-A-Thon at FayettevilleFun Questions

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WHAT’S INSIDE?

Every September, around the world, Deaf people are celebrated during Deaf Awareness Week. This is also known as the International Week of the Deaf, which emerged from International Day of the Deaf as established by the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD) in 1958.

Many local communities and organizations participate in Deaf Awareness Week by providing special events and activities to share information about Deaf people, sign language, and other cultural aspects. Activities are varied, and can include information booths in public spaces like the mall or a community center, interpreted story times at the library, sign language classes for the public, hearing screenings, workshops, performances, or even appearances by Deaf people at sporting events. Each year, the WFD provides a theme for Deaf Awareness Week (see chart below). This year it is Equality for Deaf People, which recognizes the contributions and accomplishments of deaf people worldwide, especially in the areas of human rights. Deaf people have made tremendous differences in this world, especially in linguistic, artistic, social, political and cultural areas.

Be sure to participate in your community’s Deaf Awareness Week events and celebrate our community.

DEAF AWARENESS WEEK THEME CHART • 2009- Deafpeople’sculturalachievements

• 2010-Deafeducation

• 2011-Accessibilitytoinformation and communications

• 2012-SignBilingualismisaHumanRight!

• 2013-EqualityforDeafPeople

Greetings, North Carolinians!

I hope you will enjoy this special edition. I am always happy to see so many positive things happening in the deaf community, especially within recent times. More and more deaf people are being recognized for their work, and more people are aware of Deaf people in this world. As Fred Schreiber said and Gallaudet University’s former president I. King Jordan later quoted, Deaf people can do anything except hear. And, of course, because of the Americans with Disabilities Act, we have equal right to telecommunication accessibility. As a result, we now have a huge array of telephone products to help provide full telecommunication access whether you are at home, at work, visiting friends or attending an event.

Be sure to take a look at the pictures from our Sign-a-Thon event last spring on page 4. A major thank-you goes to all of the performers and vendors who helped make the Sign-a-thon successful. We look forward to seeing you all in Spring 2015!

RelayNCly, Bola Desalu, Relay NC Manager

The page is a great way to stay in the loop about what the Division of Services for the Deaf and the Hard of Hearing (DSDHH) has been up to. Valuable information is also posted, along with facts or event information. Click here to visit the DSDHH Facebook and click “like” today to get the latest from DSDHH!

A MESSAGE FROM RELAY NC MANAGER

DID YOU KNOW THAT DSDHH HAS A FACEBOOK PAGE?

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Self-advocacy is learning how to speak up for yourself, making your own decisions about

your own life, learning how to get information so that you can understand things that are of interest to you, finding out who will support you in your journey, knowing your rights and responsibilities, problem solving, listening and learning, reaching out to others when you need help, and learning about self-determination.

For example, maybe you make a relay call to your doctor’s office for an appointment and request an interpreter for the appointment but the appointment scheduler tells you they do not provide interpreters and you can bring your own.

Self-advocacy helps you obtain what you need, receive information, learn how to provide information confidently and express yourself respectfully. Self-advocacy skills can help you avoid or solve problems with family and loved ones, doctors and lawyers, employers, associates, and friends. Self-advocacy skills can help you obtain reasonable and necessary accommodations in both public such as education, housing, employment and transportation and private settings. Also Relay Service is an important service in your self-advocacy process.

Self-advocacy is important because you can make a difference within yourself and for everyone. You have knowledge that you can educate people about. The more you know, the easier it will be to advocate for your rights and the more empowered you can become.

DID YOU KNOW that DSDHH offers a self-advocacy training based on a national curriculum, the Deaf Self-Advocacy Training? The next one will be on October 19, 2013 in Greenville, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. For other workshop offerings, contact DSDHH.

WHAT DOES SELF-ADVOCACY MEAN?

How to advocate yourself?

Click to download the Deaf Self-Advocacy Training flyer.

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SIGN-A-THON AT HICKORY

Vendor from Blue Ridge Community Center

Performers Jessica Hoover and Ryan Pinion –

“Jackson“ by Johnny Cash

Debi and Lawson McNally – doing deaf skit called “My

past experiences with planes”

Vendor from Statewide Independent Living Council

Vendor from Winston Salem State

University with Bola Desalu, Relay NC Manager

Our Eye-Catching Poster!

Vendors – Deaf Senior of NC

Performers Russell, Rhonda, Jessica and Ryan signing a song “YMCA” by Village People

SIGN-A-THON AT HICKORY

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Performers Ciera and Kivi Ganster doing a song -

“Lean On Me” by Bill Withers

Brad Hardin doing Deaf Joke called “New York Vacation”

Vendor - Vocational Rehabilitation of Morgonton

Center

Performer Tasheika Rutherford “Lose to Win” by Fantasia

Vondria Wright – signing a song called “At Last”

by Anna James

Vendor from RHA – Behavioral Health – Deaf and

Hard of Hearing Services

Vendor – Western Piedmont Community College with Bola

Desalu, Relay NC Manager

Appreciative Audience

Co-Host Jeff leading the Jeopardy Game

Vendor from Wilson Community College

Bola Desalu, Relay NC Manager and Jeff

welcoming audience

Performer Kayla Seymor – signing “ Perfectly Done”

by Shawn McDonald

Performer Isabel Howell signing a song

“Beautiful,Beauitful” by Francesca Battistelli

Vendor Sands Dollars Association for the Deaf

Performer Arnold McGee doing a deaf skit about

“Climbing the Tree”

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SIGN-A-THON AT FAYETTEVILLE

Amazing Audience

Relay Conference Captioning

Vendor from Blended Fellowship

Performer Debra Wolf doing deaf joke about “Variety”

Performer Harold Campell performing line dancing

Vendor from VRCSA

Vendor - DSDHH

Awesome Audience

Performer Krystal Rucker signs “The Truth” song by India Arie

SIGN-A-THON AT FAYETTEVILLE

7Performers received Certificate of Appreciation

Dial 7-1-1 or use these toll-free relay numbers:1-800-735-2962

1-877-735-8200

1-888-762-2724

1-877-735-8260

1-877-735-2962

1-877-735-8261

1-877-825-2448

1-877-243-2823

Relay NC4030 Wake Forest RoadSuite 300Raleigh, NC 27609www.relaync.com

mailing label here

TTY to Voice

Voice to TTY

ASCII

Voice Carry-Over

Hearing Carry-Over

Speech-to-Speech

Spanish Relay

Voice to CapTel

RelayNC Customer Service 1-800-676-3777 (Voice/TTY) 1-800-676-4290 (Español - Voz/TTY) 1-877-787-1989 (Speech-to-Speech)

CapTel Customer Service 1-888-269-7477 (Voice/TTY)

Website: www.relaync.com

1) When was the National Association of the Deaf established?

2) The Sign-a-Thon will be hosted in Spring 2015 in what two cities?

3) Who founded the World Federation of the Deaf?4) Does DSDHH have a Facebook page?

5) When does Deaf Awareness Week occur?

ANSWERS: 1) 18802) Charlotte and Greenville3) Dr. Cesare Magarotto4) Yes 5) The last week in September

FunQuestions

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