Who We Are

HEAR! HERE! is your local chapter of the Hearing Loss Association of America [HLAA] serving Woodland, Davis and Yolo County. We offer informational programs throughout the year that are open to all. See this blog for times and dates of upcoming events.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Our e-mail address is: hearherewoodland@gmail.com

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

HEAR HERE Part of ADA 20th Anniversary Celebration

July 31st:

The disability pride celebration marking the 20th anniversary of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act took place in Central Park, Davis this last Saturday. Hear Here! was one of the featured groups for the event along with other local entities.

There was a very good turn out and the parade around the park made for an impressive sight and sound, with Hear Here signs visible within the crowd and the chant "ADA, ADA Here to Stay" reverberating around the square.

The program that followed the parade featured representatives from all the political bodies, Federal, State, County to City, taking turns to acknowledge this major anniversary of "civil rights for everyone" as well as representatives from other support groups in the area. Laurie Loving from our board was one of the featured speakers along side Lucinda Talkington from Outa Sight. Numerous performers also donated their time helping to make the morning a true celebration.

Thanks to the Davis Senior Center Laurie was able to ensure that Listening Devices, connected to the sound system, were available to those who needed them. There was also two volunteer sign language interpreters available throughout the program. 20 years ago, these services would not have been available for a gathering of this kind; it is the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act that ensures we can all join in and enjoy these events. Hear Here! also hosted a table offering information about our group and the services currently available to the hard of hearing.

Organizers of the event said that they hoped to " strengthen the pride, power and unity of people with disabilities, our families and allies" and "challenge the way many people think about and define 'disability'" [Davis Enterprise].

Everyone present had a good time marking this most important Act of Legislation.