SAN DIEGO—”Language Equality & Equity: From the Womb to the World” is the theme of California Association of the Deaf’s (CAD) annual conference this weekend, Friday September 25 – Sunday, September 27 at various locations throughout San Diego. 

The three-day event will begin on Friday with workshops lasting all day from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Corporate Alliance of San Diego, featuring keynote signers Dr. Thomas Humphries and Dr. Flavia Fleischer. Dr. Fleisher is the current chair of the Deaf Studies Department at California State University, Northridge (CSUN). Her presentation is titled “Building Equality and Equity Through Deaf Community Cultural Wealth.” “During this presentation, we will discuss the importance of involving Deaf experience, knowledge, skills and tools, that we call ‘Deaf Community Cultural Wealth,’ in creating an equal and equitable society,” signed Dr. Fleisher in a Facebook video.

Dr. Flavia Fleisher announces her appearance as one of two keynote signers at the CAD Conference 2015. You can view the video in its entirety by clicking here.
Dr. Flavia Fleisher announces her appearance as one of two keynote signers at the CAD Conference 2015. You can view the video in its entirety by clicking here.

The workshops overall will focus on further development of the CAD Board’s plans for the 2016 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Meeting (EHDI).  For the past 14 years, the EDHI has been an annual meeting aimed to enhance state-based EDHI programs, and “promote knowledge and awareness of successful strategies for implementing comprehensive state-based EHDI programs that include screening, audiologic diagnostic evaluation, early intervention, medical home, reporting, tracking, surveillance, loss to follow-up issues, data integration, and other related surveillance components,” according to their website.  Breakfast, lunch and parking will be included with the workshops.

A wine and cheese social will then occur from 6 – 8 p.m., located at DawnSignPress.

Saturday will feature Unity Day 2015: A Deaf Awareness Day Event at Lincoln High School. The free festival, held annually and sponsored by Deaf Community Services of San Diego, Inc. (DCS), aims to support and celebrate the San Diego Deaf community. The festival lasts all day, from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m., and offers workshops, exhibition booths, recreational activities, children’s activities, food trucks and various forms of entertainment. You can learn more about Unity Day and DCS by visiting their website at www.deafcommunityservices.org.

After a day of family-friendly fun, the celebration doesn’t end! Next on the schedule is Deaf Club!, hosted at Stone, a famous San Diego brewery. The night will have appetizers, beverages and live entertainment and performances in ASL, followed by an open mic portion.

Finally, the conference will end with a Sunday business meeting with the CAD Board and CAD members from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., hosted at DCS headquarters.

The 2015 CAD Conference is no longer accepting registrations for the conference workshops; however, you may still purchase tickets for Deaf Club! by filling out this form here.

CAD had its very first meeting at a convention at the School for the Deaf in Berkeley, CA in 1906. For over 100 years, CAD has aimed to be “the vigilant ‘watchdog’ in protecting and promoting the rights and privileges of the deaf citizens of the state of California,” according to CAD member Emil S. Ladner.