Under the leadership of Executive Director Patricia Seiglen-Perry, Deaf Community Services of San Diego garnered support from California Coalition of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Agencies (CCDHHA) to join CAD, LEAD-K, and DawnSignPress to promote the #whyIsign trending campaign during March 13th-15th.
“#Why I sign? I stumbled on a sign language class while waiting to begin the Master’s program in Rehabilitation Counseling at SDSU. I had a deaf instructor and I fell in love with the language. I immersed myself in the community and continued my passion for the language, the people and the community! It is who I am,” signed Sieglan-Perry.
This trending campaign, #whyIsign, takes place at the same time as Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) conference. The goal of the campaign is to promote the importance of early language acquisition with American Sign Language (ASL). The conference starts this Sunday in San Diego at the Town and Country Hotel.
DCS has organized support to cover the promotional materials for #whyIsign at the EHDI conferences, which includes pins with #whyIsign logo for the people at the conference to wear!
A Deaf resident of San Diego who is also an employee at DCS expressed why the #whyIsign campaign is important to her,
“Why I Sign? I was born hard of hearing and I speak very well for a Deaf person. Growing up, I struggled with English. When my parents decided to increase my fluency in sign language, it gave me a strong foundation in my natural language. With fluency in sign language, I was then able to gain fluency in writing and reading English. Thanks Mom and Dad!”
Everyone at the EDHI conference is invited to visit DCS and CAD booths to share their #whyIsign stories and get a free #whyIsign pin. Our mantra is “Wear your #whyIsign story with pride!”
About DCSSD
DCSSD promotes the full participation of deaf and hard-of-hearing people in all aspects of society. The agency’s vision is to offer a full spectrum of services, resources, and information that are designed to maximize full access and opportunities for members of the deaf and hard-of-hearing community. For more information about this San Diego based agency, visit www.deafcommunityservices.org .
