In celebration of deaf history, culture, and language, LaGuardia Community College is hosting a month-long event beginning April 2 that features an array of educational, cultural and artistic activities.
All the events, which are held in the college’s main building at 31-10 Thomson Avenue, Long Island City, are free, open to the public, and are voice interpreted in English for the hearing. For reservations to the events or additional information call 718-482-5324 (voice) or 718-482-5325 (TTY).
LaGuardia, which has the largest, most comprehensive post-secondary program for deaf and hard of hearing students in New York City, has designed a program intent on providing greater awareness about a people who enjoy a rich history, tradition, language, and culture that is distinctively their own. In New York City, one out of every 10 people is deaf or hard of hearing.
The celebration kicks off on April 2 with a forum that examines the achievements of the deaf and hard of hearing. A student presentation will focus on famous deaf Americans, followed by a panel of LaGuardia alumni that will explain how the college helped them to achieve their career goals. Also scheduled is a video that documents the career paths of several deaf individuals. The program runs from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the college’s Little Theater.
On April 5 a bus will depart from the college for the American Sign Language Festival at Union County College in Cranford, NJ. The all-day festival will include a series of educational and cultural events. The bus will leave at 10:30 a.m. and will return to the college around 6:30 p.m. Reservations are required.
A lecture on April 9 will spotlight two specific groups — famous New Yorkers and African Americans, all of whom are deaf — and the contributions they made to their communities. The event will be held from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. in room E-500.
On April 15, the college is planning a bus trip to the American School for the Deaf in West Hartford, Conn. Participants will tour the school and its historical museum and visit the gravesites of the Rev. Thomas Gallaudet and Laurent Clerc, founders of the first school for the deaf in America. The bus will depart at 8:30 a.m. and will return to campus at 6:30 p.m. Reservations are required.
On April 30, Joyce Houghton, the guest speaker, will lead a workshop, which runs from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., that gives a deaf person’s perspective on issues, culture, and language. Following the lecture will be an open house at the college’s new ASL and interpretative lab where students will give a demonstration using the lab’s state-of-the-art equipment.
The celebration will culminate May 2 with an evening of deaf comedy featuring two professional deaf actors. The performance will run from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in the Little Theater.
The event is made possible by a grant from the CUNY Diversity Projects Development Fund.
