Purpose
The Heritage Sign Languages Center's mission is to support all diverse Deaf and hard of hearing individuals and allies in reclaiming their cultural identities and heritage languages in multicultural communities across the United States.
Mission
The Heritage Sign Languages Center is committed to evaluating multicultural communities by celebrating, recognizing, and embracing cultural heritage sign languages and intersectional identities through a multicultural lens in families, educational settings and interactive communities.
Vision
Families, educational environments, and communities play an increasingly important role in the lives of deaf people from the time they are born until they are able to embrace their intersecting identities, acquire language, and feel a sense of belonging.
Gallery
Candace Jones, BSW, M.Ed
HSLC Director
Who is Candace Jones? Candace has over 16 years of experience working in the Deaf, BIPOC Deaf, and Deaf with Disabilities educational communities. She has worked as an educator, motivational speaker, advocate, and change agent. Candace is in charge of the Heritage Sign Languages Center (HSLC) at Gallaudet University, which launched on March 17, 2022. Candace's main goal for the HSLC is to provide multicultural education and to assist others in learning about different cultures in varied environments including: schools, training sessions, conferences, workshops, family services, and community events. Her belief is that all human beings from all walks of life have an equal right to thrive as individuals.
Motto: When people embrace intersectional backgrounds, we can thrive together regardless of race, sexual orientation, religion, gender, or ethnicity.
Office of the Chief Bilingual Officer
As university experiences evolve, Gallaudet University is more dedicated than ever to delivering a top-notch bilingual education in a successful, nurturing environment where our Deaf, Hard of Hearing, DeafBlind and DeafDisabled stakeholders can thrive openly in American Sign Language (ASL) and written English.
Members of the Gallaudet community will have the ability to address and resolve complex problems, to contribute to professional and social networks, to understand the importance of physical and emotional wellness, and finally to learn for the rest of their lives and careers through the lens of ASL and English bilingualism, diversity, equity and inclusion.
The University established the Office of the Chief Bilingual Officer in January 2020.
