|
|
Article: At Festival for Deaf, People-Watching Prevails; Sign Is Language of the Day as Hearing-Impaired Enjoy a Celebration of Their Own
- Article from:
- The Washington Post
- Article date:
- September 17, 1995
- Author:
CopyrightThis material is published under license from the Washington Post. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Washington Post. (Hide copyright information)
|
In a season of festivals, the one that unfolded yesterday in
Georgetown was unique. It had all the sights of the usual carnival,
but not as many sounds. Nearly everyone in the crowd was using sign
language.
More than 3,000 people showed up at Washington Harbour Park for
the area's first Deaf Culture Festival, a chance to mingle and be
entertained by comics, storytellers, poets and other performers who
use American Sign Language. Even a dog did tricks at signed commands,
to the audience's delight.
"I've attended many other festivals -- Greek, Jewish and so on --
and I thought, `Why don't we present our own?' " said Jane B.
Golightly, the event's organizer. "We are people of language and ...