To mark Deaf Awareness Month in September, the New Hanover County Office of Civic Engagement will partner with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services’ Division of Services for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, as well as the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office, to hold a community event called “Law Enforcement and Me.”
The session is scheduled for Thursday, September 25 at 5:30 p.m. at the New Hanover County Government Center in Wilmington.
“Our goal is to promote safety, awareness, and respect through understanding the unique needs of our deaf and hard of hearing neighbors,” said Linda Thompson, Chief Civic Engagement Officer. “By creating opportunities for dialogue and education, we can build a more inclusive community where everyone feels protected and safe.”
The free event will offer education on topics such as effective communication strategies between law enforcement officers and people who are deaf or hard of hearing. It will also cover legal protections under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), as well as practical approaches to handling situations like traffic stops while ensuring rights are respected.
Attendees will have access to ASL interpreters, captioning services, and a light meal. Registration is required. Those interested in attending or needing accommodations should contact Daisy Wooten at Daisy.Wooten@dhhs.nc.gov or 910-795-2714 VP/VRS by Friday, September 5.
Recent data from New Hanover County school districts shows that 30.1% of senior students were considered college-ready in science according to ACT scores during the 2022-23 school year https://www.dpi.nc.gov/. Among juniors taking the same test, 27.2% met college readiness benchmarks https://www.dpi.nc.gov/. In reading, 43.8% of seniors were deemed ready for college https://www.dpi.nc.gov/, while juniors reached a rate of 41.3% https://www.dpi.nc.gov/. For math portions of the ACT exam, readiness rates stood at 29.7% for seniors https://www.dpi.nc.gov/ and 32% for juniors https://www.dpi.nc.gov/.
