Thank You from the NAD

Posted in: Inside TAD, TAD Announcements by TAD Administration on November 23, 2010 | 0 Comments

THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT

We did it! Together, we had a wildly successful year with advocacy
accomplishments too numerous to list here. Our 50th Biennial NAD Conference in
Philadelphia, PA exceeded expectations and plans are underway for 2012 in
Louisville, KY. Thanks to your support, we now have stable operations at
headquarters and we're working towards a better, brighter future for the benefit
of all!

Key 2010 accomplishments:

* NAD advocated for passage of the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video
Accessibility Act, also through Coalition of Organizations for Accessible
Technology (COAT) efforts. This new federal law will make it possible for us
participate in the Internet age through captioned television programs on the
Internet. The result of three years of advocacy by NAD and other groups, this
new law also provides for closed caption buttons on television remote controls,
hearing aid-compatible Internet telephones, communications equipment for
individuals who are deaf-blind, and more.

* NAD called for swift action by International Congress on the Education of the
Deaf (ICED) to formally reject resolutions passed at its 2nd Congress (also
known as the 1880 Milan Congress). Last summer, ICED at its 21st Congress in
Vancouver made a formal announcement to this effect, with its New Era Accord
which expressed deep regret for the detrimental effects of the Milan
resolutions, and promoted the acceptance of and respect for all languages and
forms of communication in educational programs.

* NAD pushed for U.S.A ratification of the United Nations Convention on Rights
of Persons with Disabilities (CPRD), an important human rights treaty which
states that sign language is a human right and that education includes full
acquisition of language, academic, practical and social knowledge. NAD will also
represent U.S.A. at the XVI World Congress of the World Federation of the Deaf
(WFD) in South Africa next summer. The WFD is a global human rights organization
with 130 country affiliates.

* NAD celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act
(ADA) with U.S. President Obama at the White House, with national disability
advocacy organizations, and at several federal agency events held throughout the
greater Washington, DC area. NAD had a pivotal role in passage of this landmark
civil rights law, including the ADA Amendments Act that was reauthorized last
year.

* NAD vigorously defended the rights of deaf and hard of hearing professionals
and consumers in several court cases, such as: pharmacists can now conduct
work-related relay calls in Alabama (patient orders by phone), spectators can
now access information during university sporting events in Ohio (captioned
public address systems), and attorneys can now access the Kentucky court system
(interpreting services and other forms of effective communication).

We're proud of what we've been able to do and we could not have done it without
you. Your support – both as a member and as a donor - helps NAD continue as your
watchdog, keeping an ever-vigilant eye on upcoming laws, regulations,
litigation, and policy work - to preserve, protect and advance the lives of the
American deaf and hard of hearing community.

This is the time of the year when people celebrate Thanksgiving. Our hope is
that you will continue to support NAD through your tax-deductible gift at
http://www.nad.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=448&qid=1085725 so
that we can keep on making the world a better place for deaf and hard of hearing
people.

On behalf of the board and staff, my warmest wishes to you for the holiday
season,

Bobbie Beth Scoggins
President
--
The National Association of the Deaf
Address Name:
8630 Fenton Street, Suite 820
Silver Spring, MD 20910-3819
United States