- The objective of the Association shall be to preserve, protect, and promote the civil, human, and linguistic rights of the deaf, hard of hearing, late-deafened, and deaf-blind individuals in Delaware.
- Self-advocacy and empowerment will be two ways of achieving the Association’s goals.
- The acquisition and use of American Sign Language is an essential human right.
- The Association practices an environment that is free of audism, racism, sexism, ageism, linguicism and other forms of discrimination.
- The Association promotes and protects the mutual interests of all member organizations of the Association, and to provide a social outlet for members and their friends.
Brief History:
DAD was formed in Wilmington, DE on November 18, 1982 under Sterck School for the Deaf (now DSD) teacher Frank Bock. (source: NAD State Association handbook)
Jay Innes, former President, reported restarting DAD in 2011.
** It is not clear when DAD started, stopped, restarted, etc. There has been several DAD presidents and finding good history on DAD’s life has been messy. If you know of any other details, please let us know.