WHEREAS, an estimated 863,000 Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing individuals call Virginia home; and

WHEREAS, people who identify as deaf belong to a cultural and linguistic community with shared language, social norms, and history; and

WHEREAS, residents who are Deaf, DeafBlind, and Hard of Hearing contribute meaningfully to the vitality of the Commonwealth, and Virginia is enriched by the diverse heritage, language, and culture of the Deaf community; and

WHEREAS, Virginia recognizes Deaf Awareness Month as a time to commemorate the First Congress of the World Federation of the Deaf, held in September 1951, promote greater public understanding of the communication barriers faced by the Deaf community, and highlight its rich culture; and

WHEREAS, the Virginia Department for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing provides services, including advocacy for communication access, consultation, deaf culture, and American Sign Language (ASL) awareness, information and referral to Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and DeafBlind individuals across the Commonwealth;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Abigail D. Spanberger, Governor, do hereby recognize September 2026 as DEAF AWARENESS MONTH in the COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, and I call this observance to the attention of all our citizens.