September is a month dedicated to recognizing and celebrating the unique and diverse culture of the deaf community as it is known as Deaf Awareness Month. NDB is working especially hard to bring more awareness to this month as American Sign Language (ASL) teacher Leianne Kilmartin emphasizes the significance of the last Sunday of September, highlighting how it celebrates the cause of the entire month.
“I don’t think a lot of people realize that deafness is a culture, and even the language kind of gets brushed aside; sometimes people say, like, oh it’s easier or it’s not a real language, so [September] brings awareness to the fact that it is a real language and deaf people do have their own culture,” said Kilmartin.
ASL classes at NDB are engaging in community outreach projects to support the local deaf community and increase awareness about their culture within NDB.
Students in the ASL I class are developing presentations about local deaf-owned businesses, while ASL IV Honors students are focused on promoting deaf culture through various initiatives at NDB, including collaborating with The Catalyst and Tiger TV to highlight this month. Additionally, they plan to make a bulletin board and, in the future, they hope to attend deaf events, such as a deaf play.
Kilmartin is dedicated to promoting awareness of deaf culture at NDB, not just during this specific month but also throughout the entire year. She firmly believes that increasing outreach efforts in and out of her ASL classroom will help normalize deaf culture within NDB and the broader community.
