Alberta Association of the Deaf (AAD) is an action-oriented organization of, for and by the Deaf. AAD seeks to improve the lives of thousands of Deaf Albertans and to give encouragement and support to Deaf children and their parents. AAD was incorporated in 1972 by the Province of Alberta as a provincial society.
AAD is committed to ensuring that the rights and personal or collective dignity of deaf Albertans are respected in the areas of employment, education, recreation, housing, interpreting, and language barriers.
AAD is affiliated with local, provincial, national and international associations of the Deaf.
AAD's programs include:
- Children and Youth - supporting summer camps for Deaf youth, and Youth Canada Tournament of the Deaf
- Education and Learning - supporting adult upgrading programs, learning resources for Deaf school-age students and captioning at theatres
- Language and Literacy - advocating ASL and promoting respect for the linguistic attributes of ASL
- Research and Development - supporting research and development initiatives and participation in conferences which highlight and move this body of work forward
- Health and Well Being - motivational and awareness/information-sharing workshops
- Rights and Entitlements - advocating quality of life and rights/entitlements
- Liaison - liaising between Deaf and other communities at local, regional and provincial levels
- Technology - enhancement of access to/at public and private sector venues.
Major Projects
Seniors Projects - DVD
The project for a documentary DVD on "Enhancing the Quality of Life for Deaf Seniors in Alberta" is available for viewing.
Scholarships
- The Charmaine Letourneau Scholarship: The Charmaine Letourneau Scholarship Fund has been established at the Edmonton Community Foundation to provide scholarships to Deaf individuals wishing to further their education or career.
- AAD/Rodda Scholarship: This scholarship is awarded annually to an undergraduate or graduate student who is Deaf and who is entering or continuing in a program at the University of Alberta.
AAD's Other Projects
- Deaf Alberta Expo
- Youth Canada Tournament of the Deaf
- World Congress of the World Federation of the Deaf
- Deaf Canada Conference
- Deaf Senior Citizens' programs and activities
