Deaf Studies Today

OREM, Utah—Hundreds of deaf people flocked to Utah Valley State College to take part in the Deaf Studies Today conference on Tuesday. Professionals, students, and members of the deaf community came together to celebrate deaf culture.

The conference started today with an international film festival and will continue through Saturday evening. It will include over 50 presentations, live performances, and an art exhibit.

All American Sign Language classes at UVSC have been cancelled for students to attend the conference. Janette Toolson is a student majoring in deaf studies and must attend the conference as part of her grade.

“I am in upper division classes so I have to introduce some of the speakers,” she said.

Even though it was required for her classes to attend the conference this weekend, she attended the film festival today for her own enjoyment.

Sarah Hawks has been taking ASL classes since high school. She recently changed her major and was very excited to attend the conference this weekend.

“It’s amazing that I have the opportunity to go to this conference and take part in it,” she said.

The conference has many people from all over coming to present. Anthony Natale, an actor from “Mr. Holland’s Opus,” was the keynote speaker for the film festival. Other speakers include Dr. M.J. Bienvenu from Gallaudet University, Dr. Paddy Ladd from the University of Bristol, Ella Mae Lentz, and Samuel Kwesi Asare, the president of the National Association of the Deaf in Ghana.

The conference will teach about American Sign Language, colonialism, liberation and the world of deaf people. Not all of the presentations will have interpreters, but all of the keynote speakers will be interpreted from either sign to voice or voice to sign.

To attend the conference you must register either online or in person. The cost is $310 for professionals, $75 for students not from UVSC for limited enrollment and $125 for full registration.

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