The seventh annual DeaFestival KY 2006 will be held July 1 from 10 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. (EDT) at the Kentucky Center and the Belvedere in Louisville. The free event, hosted by The Kentucky Commission on the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, will feature dance, music, art, storytelling performed in American Sign Language (ASL) and a visual artists studio.

“Good educators know that learning is not limited to the confines of a classroom. Immersion into a new culture and language is a valuable educational tool. DeaFestival provides a wonderful way to develop sensitivity among the general public to deaf and hard of hearing individuals and an appreciation for their talents and abilities,” said Virginia G. Fox, secretary of the Education Cabinet.

DeaFestival KY 2006 celebrates the language, culture and diversity of the deaf and hard of hearing community and its contributions to Kentucky’s cultural heritage. All performances will be in ASL with interpretation into spoken English provided by highly qualified interpreters for those who are not fluent in ASL.  It is family-friendly and will have four components:  Spotlights – Adult Program; Hands Across the World – Children’s Program (with a Narnia theme); a Visual Artists Studio that showcases professional work of many deaf and hard of hearing artists. Exhibitors will offer information and crafts for sale.  

“Come and experience DeaFestival and you can be sure that it will be a very memorable event,” said Bobbie Beth Scoggins, executive director of the Kentucky Commission on the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.

For more information about DeaFestival and a schedule of events, visit www.deafestival.org.

The Kentucky Commission on the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, an agency in the Education Cabinet, is located at 632 Versailles Road, Frankfort, Kentucky 40601. Staff may be contacted at 800-372-2907 v/tty, or via email at kcdhh@kcdhh.ky.gov.

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