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About NJ DAW

 

Deaf Awareness Week History

 

  • 1951 the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD) proposed “Deaf Awareness Day” events be planned for the last Sunday of September to encourage unity in the various Deaf communities and to promote awareness of Deaf Culture and sign language to the general public, instill Deaf pride in the community, and show role models for young Deaf and hard of hearing children to inspire greater achievement.

 

  • 1991 – Inspired by Massachusetts’ very successful state wide Deaf Awareness week events, Cliff Rowley, then the Second Vice-President of the New Jersey Association of the Deaf, along with Jane Hecker- Cain, then Coordinator of the Deaf/Hard o f Hearing Program at the New Jersey State Library for the Blind and Handicapped and Richard Herring, then Director of the Division of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in the Department of Human Services arranged deaf related events statewide during the National Deaf Awareness Week.

 

  • September 20, 1992 – Deaf Pride Picnic at Thompson Park in Jamesburg – fundraising to sponsor the first DEAF FEST

 

DEAF FEST

 

  • September 19, 1993 – Garden State Arts Center in Holmdel

  • September 18, 1994 – Garden State Arts Center

  • September 17, 1995 – North Branch Park in Bridgewater

  • September 21, 1997 – North Branch Park

  • September 19, 1999 – Solberg Airport in Readington

  • September 23, 2001 – Solberg Airport

  • September 21, 2003 – Solberg Airport

  • September 18, 2005 – Middlesex County Fairground in East Brunswick

  • September 16, 2007 – Middlesex County Fairground

  • September 13, 2009 – Middlesex County Fairground

  • September 18, 2011 – Middlesex County Fairground

  • September 22, 2013 – Middlesex County Fairground

  • September 20, 2015 –  Middlesex County Fairground

  • September 24, 2017 - Middlesex County Fairground

  • September 21, 2019 - Ukranian Cultural Center in Somerset

  • All of our DEAF FESTS were free – no admission and no parking fees (except for DEAF FEST 2003 – due to insufficient funds raised by the New Jersey Deaf Awareness Week committee, we had to charge $5.00 per carload)

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