#whyIsign Trending Partners: CAD, LEAD-K & DawnSignPress
MARCH 13th-15th: 48 HOUR #whyIsign CAMPAIGN
For Immediate Release
February 25, 2016
CONTACT
Matthew Sampson, Media Contact
Stacy Abrams, Families Contact
Stacy Abrams started #whyIsign trending to celebrate Deaf children’s families
Stacy Abrams, a mentor for families of Deaf babies and children in Arizona, had started a phenomenal campaign by encouraging families with Deaf children to share their stories about why they chose to use American Sign Language (ASL). Those stories are hashtagged #whyIsign. Many viewers have been moved by families’ stories shared straight from their hearts. Even nonfamilial individuals such as friends, classmates, and doctors have chimed in with their own stories.
PEDIATRICS, a professional journal for pediatricians, has announced that there are well-defined benefits to learning American Sign Language and that Deaf children need to learn languages from parents, teachers, and the community (Mellon, et al, 2015). However, our American society has not yet embraced the notion of raising Deaf children with American Sign Language and English.
This #whyIsign campaign is to help promote awareness about the powerful benefits of learning American Sign Language and English, so the world can be a better place for Deaf children and their families.
Rosa Lee Timm, actor and educator, explains how YOU can join the campaign
California Association of the Deaf (CAD), Language Equity and Acquisition for Deaf Kids (LEAD-K), and DawnSignPress (DSP) have partnered with Stacy Abrams to start trending #whyIsign as a 48-hour campaign on March 13th-15th.
“The foundation of LEAD-K’s national campaign is based on the very premise of #whyIsign as a crucial part of language development for all Deaf children ages 0-5. We are proud to partner with CAD and DawnSignPress to bring about awareness,” said Sheri Ann Farinha, Director of LEAD-K.
The purpose of this trending partnership is to trend the awareness about how American Sign Language help Deaf children and their families connect and thrive, which is a choice not encouraged by the medical system. The trending campaign will take place during the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) conference in San Diego, California.
“CAD is proud to be offering resources and support to help make this wonderful concept go viral so the families of Deaf children can connect with each other and create their own support system through social media,” said Julie Rems-Smario, President of California Association of the Deaf.
Stacy Abrams shares words of encouragement for all families of Deaf children to join the 48-hour #whyISign campaign, “It’s your time to shine! Your story will inspire many families, near and far. So, please share from your heart!!”
During those 48 hours, anyone can join the campaign to show support for the ASL-speaking families and bring awareness to the world about how signed languages are a healthy language of choice for the Deaf children and their families. If a family has already shared their story, they can share again during the 48-hour campaign. The social media avenues include Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. The families’ stories will be posted on #whyIsign Facebook page.
Tina Jo Breindel, Community Relations Manager of DawnSignPress, a publishing company for American Sign Language literature, said, “We all know how bilingualism, ASL and English, boosts brain power. Researches continue to show with every passing day bilingualism boosts brain cognition, connections and academic achievement as well as social skills.”
With universal sign language, Adam Jarashow invites the world to the campaign
About #whyIsign–
A social media networking created by Stacy Abrams to celebrate people who learn to SIGN with their Deaf family members. It is a place where the family members can lovingly share their stories in American Sign Language.
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Whyisign For more information, contact whyisign@gmail.com
About CAD
California Association of the Deaf is a nonprofit agency established in 1906 to promote, protect and preserve linguistic, human, and civil rights for all Deaf Californians. www.CAD1906.org
About DawnSignPress
DawnSignPress creates, develops, and publishes quality children’s American Sign Language (ASL) videos and books. After 35 years of pioneering ASL products, DawnSignPress is still on the cutting edge of the educational and social media trends relating to ASL. Now, with ASL’s popularity in the mainstream on a steady rise, DawnSignPress looks to offer quality ASL to a wider audience. www.DawnSignPress.com
References
Mellon, N.K., Niparko, J.K., Rathmann, C., Mathur, G., Humphries, T., Napoli, D.J., Handley, T., Scambler, S., and Lantos, J. (2015). Should all deaf children learn sign language? PEDIATRICS. Retrieved from:http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/pediatrics/early/2015/06/09/peds.2014-1632.full.pdf
