Urgent! NAD needs your help!

Posted in: TAD Announcements by TAD Administration on December 30, 2008 | 0 Comments

National Association of the Deaf
Last Opportunity to Give in 2008 to NAD
Dear Valued Supporter,

This is an urgent and heartfelt appeal for year-end support to enable the work
of the NAD to continue in the New Year.

Your year-end gift is very important. The NAD begins the New Year under
extremely difficult financial circumstances. Please see Important Message from
the NAD President (under Latest News at www.nad.org), which describes cutbacks
to go into effect January 1st.

This past year we accomplished quite a lot, with your support; these will be
outlined in the January-February 2009 issue of the NADmag (see also
www.nad.org/NADinAction).

As we prepare for 2009, your year-end gift will help the NAD accomplish
important goals, such as:

** Passage of the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act,
through the Coalition for Accessible Technology (COAT) which we co-founded;

** Captioning of movies, videos via the Internet, and cell phones;

** Improvement of the Certified Deaf Interpreter (CDI) testing system, through
joint efforts with Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) and other groups;

** Continued push for expansion of Early Hearing Detection and Intervention
(EHDI) efforts to incorporate ASL, with the involvement of individuals and
advocacy groups nationwide;

** Release of Air Carrier Accessibility Act (ACAA) regulations specific to the
needs of deaf and hard of hearing passengers, by the U.S. Department of
Transportation;

** Working closely with the new Obama-Biden administration to ensure that our
broad-based policy issues are acted upon;

** Handling of thousands of information requests each month about the American
deaf community, educational and communication options, parental resources, legal
rights, opportunities for youth development, accessibility in the workplace and
so forth;

** Ratification of the United Nations Convention on Rights of Persons with
Disabilities (CPRD) by the Obama-Biden administration; and much more!

Your support, especially at this time of financial crisis for the NAD, enables
us to soldier on, working on your behalf. Your year-end gift helps the NAD to be
ever-watchful, protecting the civil, human, and linguistic rights of the
American deaf and hard of hearing community.

Giving is easy; please visit www.nad.org/donate (http://www.nad.org/donate) to
make an online gift, or download the PDF donation form to send your gift via
mail or fax. The NAD is a classified as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization; all
donations are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.

Thank you for your generous support, as always. The NAD Board of Directors and I
wish you a healthy and happy New Year,

Nancy J. Bloch
Chief Executive Officer