The NJAD Deaf Youth Day was recently held on April 13, 2019 at the beautiful Meadow Lakes venue in East Windsor, NJ. Thanks to Meadow Lakes, New Jersey Relay and CapTel, New Jersey Division of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (NJDDHH) for their generous sponsorships, we were able to put on exceptional event with six guest speakers, two workshops, two networking events, and an awesome ASL performer. The exhibitors include Katzenbach School for the Deaf, Camp Sol of the Deaf, and By Mara were present at the event.

 

We all shared a common goal – to raise awareness and provide invaluable education for parents and deaf youths about the state laws, disability rights, and available resources at their disposal and how they can get help to help succeed well in their colleges and workplaces. As the morning started to get brighter, the attendees – old and new faces trickled into the venue, hurdling around the table for freshly brewed coffee and light refreshments and mingling with exhibitors and guest speakers.

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I am extremely grateful and thankful for the guest speakers’ time and effort to speak to young deaf students and parents. The attendees left the event with a sense of empowerment and a clear understanding to know their goals, know their rights, and know their choices. I look forward to hosting another youth event for next year.

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