Published: April 4, 2023 by Eori Tokunaga

Please join the SJSU iSchool in celebrating National Deaf History Month 2023 as we honor the achievements of our d/Deaf and hard-of-hearing community members.

Established in 1880, the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) was shaped 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. While National Deaf History Month (NDHM) was initiated in 1997 and previously recognized from March 13 through April 15, as of 2020, the NAD Board now recognizes April 1-30 as NDHM in an effort to dismantle racism within the community and ensure that the historical lens includes the experiences of BIPOC Deaf People. (source: nad.org)

Join us on Thursday, April 13, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Pacific Time, for our free online symposium, “Deaf Culture and History: Best Practices and Lessons Learned for Libraries and Educators.”

Individuals requiring real-time captioning/closed captions or other accommodations should contact Sue Alman as soon as possible. ASL interpreter services for the symposium will be provided by Partners in Communication.

Register here for this free event.

Keynote speaker Dr. Rhonda Jennings-Arey has an American Sign Language Teacher’s Association (ASLTA) certification at the Master level and endorsements in ASL instruction, Administration and Supervision, English, Reading Specialist, and Deaf Education through the state of Virginia and Maryland teacher’s licenses. She has been involved with several Deaf organizations, such as her VSDB alumni association, where she is a secretary, the local Deaf club, where she is a treasurer, and the ASLTA board, where she is a secretary. She helped found Virginia American Sign Language Teacher’s Association, where she served as president for eight years. She is currently certified by RID as a Certified Deaf Interpreter, where she works as a freelance interpreter. She currently works at the University of Virginia as an Assistant Professor.