Deaf Awareness Week activities educate

Central is participating in the annual national Deaf Awareness Week, a nationally celebrated week dedicated to the deaf community, by hosting a series of events and activities.

Deaf Awareness Week is observed by the National Association of the Deaf, with events taking place across the nation. Events at Central begin with a Deaf Awareness Information Fair at the Charles V. Park Library Central Hall from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday.

Supporters say the interaction and education available through the events is important.

“This is the first time CMU has taken initiative to be more aware of the deaf community,” said Andy Christler, Speech and Language Hearing Club president.

Christler, Frankenmuth senior, said the week is designed as an educational process between different cultures.

“We don’t view deafness as a disability, but as a lifestyle,” he said.

Four days of special events are planned for the week, focusing on raising the awareness of differences in attitudes toward deafness for everyone.

Other goals for the CMU Deaf Awareness Week include teaching about types, degrees and causes of hearing loss; deafness terminology and various forms of sign language; helping individuals understand the functions of assistive devices used by the deaf and hearing impairment; offering relevant tips for communication with deaf and the hearing impaired; and offering a better understanding of the deaf culture.

Christler said the events, especially the children’s play, is important to reach the goals of the program.

“It’s an important outreach into the community. The play will be uplifting for children,” he said.

The play, which is presented by the Wild Swan Theater, integrates American Sign Language, stories and music from America’s early days. Two one-hour performances are being offered by special invitation to local school programs for children who are deaf or hearing impaired. Additional limited seating is available for $5.

Christler said another highlighted event for the week is speaker Chris Hunter.

Hunter is the director of the Michigan Division on Deaf and Hard of Hearing within the Michigan Commission on Disability Concerns in the Michigan Family Independence Agency.

He has taught American sign language courses at Michigan State University for more than 22 years and gives many presentations about deaf people and their culture across the state.

“He is a phenomenal speaker. He is hilarious and puts a spin on things to think in a positive way,” Christler said.

The week’s events at Central are being supported by the college, the communication disorders and psychology departments, the Honors Program, Deaf Blind Central, the Multicultural Education Center and the CMU Student Speech, Language and Hearing Club, and private donors.

Deaf Awareness Week is observed annually by the National Association of the Deaf and the World Federation of the Deaf during the last full week of September, in commemoration of the first World Congress of the Deaf that took place that week in 1951.

CMU is celebrating the anniversary along with the NAD and the World Federation of the Deaf.

“We view the week as observing a way of life and a culture that a lot of people don’t know about,” Christler said.