Author: Ryan Hill
Jan Withers, Director, DSDHH, Governor Roy Cooper and Ashley Benton, Deaf/Deaf-Blind Services Coordinator, in center, are flanked by Deaf and Hard of Hearing advocates.
Sept. 29, 2017 — Governor Roy Cooper and Division of Services for the Deaf and the Hard of Hearing leadership celebrated September as Deaf Awareness Month during an event at the capitol building on Sept. 6, during which the governor signed a proclamation noting the month.
DSDHH Director Jan Withers celebrated the diverse and active Deaf communities throughout the state.
"As I. King Jordan, Gallaudet University’s first Deaf president, famously said, 'Deaf people can do anything except hear,'" she said. "I am honored that Governor Cooper supports Deaf Awareness Month to recognize and celebrate our vibrant culture."
DSDHH, a division of the Department of Health and Human Services, works to ensure that the 1.2 million Deaf, Hard of Hearing or Deaf-Blind citizens in North Carolina have the ability to communicate their needs and receive information easily and effectively in all aspects of their lives, especially their health and well-being.
Recently, DHHS, DSDHH, the North Carolina Association of the Deaf and the Hearing Loss Association of America - North Carolina partnered on the passage of House Bill 84, which requires the establishment of educational and training standards for law enforcement officers. It also gives individuals the option to have their driver’s license indicate they are deaf or hard of hearing.
Several locations across the state held events celebrating Deaf Awareness Month, including Carowinds, the Museum of Natural Sciences and the Greensboro Grasshoppers.