CREEC recently had the privilege of joining the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community at two marquee events: Deaf Awareness Day at the Denver Zoo in Colorado and the DeafNation Expo in Nashville, TN. All together more than 2,400 people attended these two signature events.
Deaf Awareness Day at the Denver Zoo – September 22, 2019
Kris Shipley of Sprint Accessibility remarked about this year’s day at the Zoo, “Relay Colorado and Sprint Accessibility sponsored and hosted Deaf Awareness Day at the Denver Zoo on September 22, 2019 to support Deaf Awareness Month. It was a smashing hit! There were over 1,000 attendees including all ages of deaf, hard of hearing and hearing guests from the Denver metro area, Colorado Springs and northern Colorado. This was a good way to bring the community together and celebrate Deaf Awareness Month.”
Co-Executive Director Amy Robertson represented CREEC at Deaf Awareness Day at the Denver Zoo and reported, “It was great to see old friends and meet new people in the Deaf community. It also gave us a chance to introduce our Fast Advocacy for Communication (FAC) program, which folks seemed interested in.” CREEC looks forward to participating in future Deaf Awareness Days.
DeafNation Expo Nashville, TN – October 12, 2019
Director of CREEC’s Accessibility Project, Martie Lafferty joined 74 vendors and more than 1,400 participants at Nashville’s DeafNation Expo on Saturday October 12. Both vendors and participants came from multiple states including TN, KY, IN, GA, NC, AL, and MS. Martie and a sign language interpreter staffed CREEC’s booth where many participants stopped by to talk and pick up flyers, magnets, and stickers. Several participants signed up for CREEC’s newsletter or to discuss a specific communication barrier. In addition, Martie was a presenter and explained how CREEC challenges discrimination. Martie notes, “I had a terrific time at DeafNation. This was the best outreach event I’ve ever attended. It was energizing to talk with so many people who wanted to learn more about their legal rights and CREEC’s services. I also enjoyed seeing old friends and making new ones.” CREEC’s Fast Advocacy for Communication document was a popular flyer at our DeafNation booth.
DeafNation a national touring trade show for, by and about Deaf people since 2003, seeks to attract a diverse group of attendees who share Deaf culture, needs, language, and information. You can learn more here.
Coming Soon: CREEC will be at the 2019 National Federation of the Blind of Colorado State Convention – October 31 – November 3, 2019