[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 80 (Tuesday, June 10, 1997)]
[House]
[Page H3639]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    TRIBUTE TO NEW JERSEY'S 13TH ANNUAL DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING DAY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from New Jersey [Mr. Pappas] is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. PAPPAS. Mr. Speaker, as I stand here today, almost three-quarters 
of a million of my fellow New Jersey citizens are unable to hear what I 
am saying. It is not that they are not listening, but rather they are 
physically unable to hear. Although closed captioning television is 
beneficial to some, many citizens are without the service.
  I rise today to recognize my State's proclamation of June 14 as the 
13th Annual Deaf and Hard of Hearing Day. This day sets out to raise 
awareness for an issue and a segment of our population that face a 
silent disability.
  The ability to hear is truly a blessing and something that those of 
us who can hear often take for granted. For just a moment think of all 
the different sounds that echo through our daily lives: The birds 
chirping in the early morning, the music in the car, or the elevator, 
or familiar voices of our friends, family members, and coworkers.
  As a society we depend on sounds in so many ways: Vehicle horns when 
we are driving, fire alarms to alert us to danger, and even here in 
Congress we listen for the bells to alert us of upcoming votes.
  It is difficult to imagine the everyday difficulties that those 
citizens who are unable to hear face in their efforts to function in a 
society that uses sounds in so many ways as a means of communication.
  Beyond the sounds we hear, the spoken language is our primary means 
of expressing and receiving our thoughts and ideas. We use telephones 
to communicate, we listen to the television and radio for our 
entertainment and information, but the deaf community and hard of 
hearing community communicates in a much different way. The silent 
disability that they face forces them to converse through sign language 
and use TDD and relay services as an alternative method of telephone 
communication.
  As a student of sign language myself, I am well aware of the daily 
efforts that must be made to express themselves without spoken words. 
Yet it is a difficult language to learn but highly necessary for 
survival. I encourage everyone who has the opportunity to learn, to 
learn sign language.
  This Saturday at the Great Adventure Amusement Park in Jackson, NJ, 
thousands of people from New Jersey's deaf and hard of hearing 
community will celebrate the 13th Annual Deaf and Hard of Hearing Day. 
If anyone is interested in seeking out more information on the day's 
events, they can call either through Voice or TDD, and the telephone 
number at the Division of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in New Jersey is 
609-984-7281.
  I want to congratulate Richard Herring, the Director of the Division 
of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing of the New Jersey Department of Human 
Services, for his efforts in making this annual event such a success. 
His efforts over the years to celebrate, educate, raise awareness, and 
recognize the achievements made by fellow citizens have truly had a 
tremendous impact on both the deaf and hearing communities of my State.

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