| |
by Juli A. Ginn, Staff Writer The first annual National Council of Hispano Deaf and Hard of Hearing – Fray Pedro Ponce de Leon (NCHDHH) SER National Conference hosted by Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C., successfully brought together Hispano Deaf and Hard of Hearing (D/HH) for learning, fun and awareness. Two hundred fifteen D/HH teens, young adults and older adults from the West and East coast, California to Chicago, gathered to discover, celebrate and understand their culture in both Deaf and Hispanic society and to discuss issues that frame the Hispano D/HH experience in America. Two organizations, NCHDHH and Latino Deaf and Hard of Hearing Association of the Metropolitan DC Area (LDHHAMDC) worked closely together to make it all happen. Several events were held that would appeal to all attendees, such as a preconference for teens and young adults, a night of sampling Latin cuisines, a Señorita Latina Pageant and a soccer tournament. Workshops brought education and awareness about various issues affecting the Latino D/HH population. Along with attorney Susan Gonzales' workshop geared specifically to Latina women, one of the events that had the most potential to impact the Hispano Deaf culture was a roundtable discussion involving adults and the same youth who attended the preconference. Franklin C. Torres, head chairperson of the conference and president of LDHHAMDC, says, "Interestingly enough we had deaf and hearing persons on the panel. They were asked questions like what kind of frustrations should I expect in college, or what kind of cultural barriers are there in the real world and so some of the answers were either culturally related or not. The other group primarily asked about interpreters and what their experience was with mainstream schools or other types of schools." From the discussion an unfortunate truth became apparent, according to Torres. Many students are attending schools where they are unable to thrive because either they or their parents do not know all of four necessary languages for the Hispano/Latino D/HH: English, Spanish, American Sign Language (ASL) and Mexican Sign Language (LSM). Students have interpreters who can not speak Spanish or are only minimally qualified to interpret, parents who can not use either LSM or ASL, and staff who are limited to communicating solely in English. The awareness raised at the roundtable discussion paralleled the need that NCHDHH has already observed within the Latino community nationwide and appropriate intervention is already a concern of NCHDHH. "The nonprofit council [NCHDHH] will offer educational institutions and organizations in the country guidance on how to include lessons on Hispanic and Hispanic deaf cultures, the Spanish language and Mexican Sign Language, Lenguaje de Senas Mexicana, or LSM. The council also aims to encourage parents who speak Spanish to learn LSM. The need for a Hispano-deaf council is growing rapidly because...the Hispanic population is the most rapidly growing minority in the nation," states the organization's Web site. Torres, along with Elvia Guillermo and Leticia Arellano and a host of other LDHHAMDC and NCHDHH volunteers, including Gilbert L. Delgado, Ph.D., president of NCHDHH and a keynote speaker at the SER Conference, worked willingly together to make the conference a complete success. LDHHAMDC, a relatively new organization founded in August 2005, is in the process of seeking affiliation with its national partner, NCHDHH. Torres says, "NCHDHH is on the national level and LDHH is the organization that's here locally." LDHHAMDC joins several other organizations that are trying to meet the needs of regional Hispano D/HH in their own community. According to the LDHHAMDC Web site, the organization "is a group of Latino Deaf and Hard of Hearing persons [who] want to see our people have equal rights and access to succeed in the Metropolitan Washington...area." They envision "communities where people of all backgrounds, beliefs, and experiences work together, and share responsibilities for improving our own lives and the lives of those around us." LDHH has 77 members and hopes for growth now that the conference has brought about new awareness of their group. Incorporated in New Mexico, NCHDHH inspired the creation of LDHHAMDC. NCHDHH's goals reach out to Latino D/HH at a national level and advocate for public policy. Both organizations are open to all. For more information, visit http://ldhhamdc.org and http://nchdhh.org. |
|
