To celebrate International Week of the Deaf and Deaf Awareness Month, College of Western Idaho’s (CWI) American Sign Language (ASL) Club and Student Disability Services hosted a couple of events to spread awareness of the Deaf community and have fun while doing so!
First, ASL students, interpreters, and Deaf community members gathered at Nampa Campus Academic Building (NCAB) to kick off the International Week of the Deaf and Deaf Awareness Month activities on Tuesday, Sept. 19. Participants heard from two CWI Deaf, Sign Language Studies adjunct faculty members, Kristi Dorris and Mikkel Nelson, who shared about their upbringing, what it was like learning ASL, their experience with Deaf culture, and finding their identities within the culture.
The event also had those in attendance play the online quiz game, Kahoot, with questions about ASL and Deaf culture to help spread awareness and education. Interpreters were provided for the event so everyone was included.
ASL Club and Student Disability Services then took things over to Settlers Park in Meridian for the International Week of the Deaf Picnic on Friday, Sept. 22. Those in attendance were able to enjoy delicious food and play yard games – all while communicating in ASL!
Each year in the second to last week of September, CWI’s ASL Club and Student Disability Services come together to celebrate International Week of the Deaf and Deaf Awareness Month to educate and spread awareness of the College’s and Treasure Valley’s Deaf community.
For those in need of more information or interested in getting involved with CWI’s ASL Club, please visit their Club page. For those who are in need of assistance from CWI’s Student Disability Services, please contact accessibility@cwi.edu. For inquiries regarding Sign Language Interpreting services, please email signlanguageinterpreters@cwi.edu.
