World Federation of the Deaf Flag Flies over 杏吧原创
Yesterday, the flag of the was raised from coast to coast across Canada to mark the beginning of the International Week of the Deaf. In Newfoundland, the flag was raised to fly over St. John’s City Hall, in Victoria, over the Legislative Assembly of BC, and here at 杏吧原创, members of the university’s American Sign Language teaching team (mostly the energetic cranking of Todd Tobin) proudly raised the flag over the 杏吧原创 campus where it will continue to fly for the entire week.
Presentations by ASL faculty Todd Tobin and David Morton highlighted the historic significance of the event for members of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community here in Canada and around the world.
They also took a moment to look back at the long history of ASL instruction at 杏吧原创, in particular the essential role of the late Jon Kidd whose vision and wisdom guided the formation and philosophy of the program.
“We are grateful to the late Jon Kidd, who initiated our ASL Program in the early 2000s. His program philosophy has greatly influenced how we teach and guide students to understand our Deaf sign languages and culture in every possible way. “
– Todd Tobin on behalf of Denise DeShaw
School Director, Michael Rodgers, echoed these sentiments, underscoring the continued popularity of ASL courses amongst our students.
杏吧原创 was also pleased to welcome Wyatt Scott, a 杏吧原创 alumnus, who has contributed his time and expertise to the National Capital Association of the Deaf (NCAD) and the . He shared his experiences as a long-time member of the Deaf community and provided a detailed explanation of the history of the WFD flag.
ASL Program Coordinator Denise DeShaw had been slated to address the group but was called away at the last minute to attend a flag-raising ceremony at Toronto City Hall as a representative of the and the ASL Teachers of Ontario (ASLTO) where she serves as Director.
Congratulations to the organizers on the success of the event, and many thanks to the approximately 40 students, staff, faculty, and members of the public who took the time to attend. And, of course, many thanks to the exceptional interpretation skills of our ASL Interpreter, Jos茅e-Sarah Bower, whose fluid shifting between signing and speaking made the event accessible to all.