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Oakland County proclaims September Deaf Awareness Month; DeafCAN to celebrate 40th anniversary
Summary
The Oakland County Board of Commissioners issued a proclamation recognizing September as Deaf Awareness Month and highlighted Deaf Community Advocacy Network's (DeafCAN) 40th annual celebration scheduled for Sept. 27 in Southfield.
The Oakland County Board of Commissioners issued a proclamation on Sept. 18 declaring September Deaf Awareness Month and recognizing the work of local organizations that serve deaf, hard-of-hearing and deafblind residents.
Commissioner Angela Powell presented the proclamation and noted her personal connection to the community: "Both my parents are deaf," Powell said, and she credited her father with helping to establish the local agency. Powell cited the importance of sign-language interpreters, captioning, assistive technology and early-intervention programs in supporting equitable access.
Dylan Secord, assistant director of the Deaf Community Advocacy Network (DeafCAN), accepted the proclamation and invited commissioners and the public to DeafCAN's Deaf Celebration Day on Sept. 27 at the Southfield Civic Center. "Deaf Awareness Month, it's very important month for me as a deaf person, because this is all about celebrating our beautiful community, our culture, and our language," Secord said.
The proclamation notes DeafCAN's 40th anniversary celebration and its expectation to welcome more than 2,000 attendees to the Sept. 27 event, and it calls attention to services the county and nonprofits provide to residents who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Ending: Commissioners paused for photos following the proclamation; the event and the county proclamation underscore ongoing outreach and accessibility work for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community in Oakland County.
