The Connecticut Convention & Sports Bureau (CTCSB) and Connecticut Convention Center welcome the National Association of the Deaf (NAD)’s “54th Biennial Conference” to Hartford. The NAD, known as the nation’s premier civil rights organization of, by and for deaf and hard of hearing individuals, will partner with three other organizations: The National Deaf Education Conference (NDEC); Deaf in Government (DIG); and the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID).

Almost 2,000 people are expected to attend the conference between today/Tuesday, July 3 and Sunday, July 8 in the Connecticut Convention Center. Attendees will attend seminars on a variety of topics, and there will be social activities for individuals and families. During the conference, many will visit the American School for the Deaf in West Hartford. The nationally renowned leader in educational programs and services for deaf and hard of hearing students celebrated its 200th anniversary last year. Attendees will also have the opportunity to participate in over 100 workshops and tour sites around Hartford that have ties to deaf history.

The CTCSB reports that the NAD Conference is expected to generate more than $1.7 million in revenue for the Greater Hartford region over the coming week as visitors stay in hotels, dine in restaurants, shop, and enjoy attractions. They will utilize close to 2,200 room nights at the Marriott Downtown Hartford and the Hilton Hartford hotels. An estimated 276 jobs in the hospitality industry will be supported by this event, and over $110,000 in Connecticut Sales Tax will be generated.

In preparation for providing top-quality service to this week’s attendees, many of whom are deaf or hard of hearing, the Connecticut Convention & Visitors Bureau (CTCSB) and the Connecticut Convention Center hosted sessions for front line hospitality industry workers, so they can understand and communicate most effectively with their guests. Interpreters from Source Interpreting, a division of the American School for the Deaf, provided training for Downtown Hartford restaurants and attractions who are members of the Hartford Hospitality Task Force. The Waterford Group held similar sessions for its Marriott Downtown and Hilton Hartford staff that were led by deaffriendly.com, which works with deaf-friendly businesses and establishments.  

The Connecticut Convention Center and Marriott Hartford Downtown are located right across the street from the restaurants in the Front Street Entertainment District and are just blocks away from many others in the city. The Downtown dash shuttle bus has added hours of operation to accommodate attendees.

The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) is the nation’s premier civil rights organization of, by and for deaf and hard of hearing individuals in the United States of America. Established in 1880, the NAD was shaped by deaf leaders who believed in the right of the American deaf community to use sign language, to congregate on issues important to them, and to have its interests represented at the national level. These beliefs remain true to this day, with American Sign Language as a core value. The advocacy scope of the NAD is broad, covering a lifetime and impacting future generations in the areas of early intervention, education, employment, health care, technology, telecommunications, youth leadership, and more – improving the lives of millions of deaf and hard of hearing Americans. The NAD also carries out its federal advocacy work through coalition efforts with specialized national deaf and hard of hearing organizations, as well as coalitions representing national cross-disability organizations. On the international front, the NAD represents the United States of America to the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD), an international human rights organization. Individual and organizational membership makes it possible for the NAD to ensure that the collective interests of the American deaf and hard of hearing community are seen and represented among our nation’s policy makers and opinion leaders at the federal level. The NAD is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization supported by the generosity of individual and organizational donors, including corporations and foundations. Visit www.NAD.org.

Working in partnership with the state’s businesses, institutions, nonprofit organizations, and their surrounding communities, the Connecticut Convention & Sports Bureau (CTCSB) markets all of the state – convention and meeting venues, hotels and attractions, and sporting venues – as a premier destination for international, national, regional and statewide conferences, conventions and major sports events. Events booked by the CTCSB in the last fiscal year alone are projected to result in: $54,181,589 in spending by convention, meeting and sports events attendees during their visits to the state, generating over $3,121,389 in Connecticut taxes. In addition, more than 17,246 Connecticut jobs in the hospitality industry will be supported by these events as a result of these bookings.* For information, contact www.CTMeetings.org or 860-728-6789. (*Destinations International economic calculator FY 2017-18).

The Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford is the state’s premier meeting venue and the largest full-service convention facility between New York and Boston. Overlooking the beautiful Connecticut River, it features 140,000 square feet of exhibition space, a 40,000-square-foot ballroom and 25,000 square feet of meeting space, as well as ample sheltered parking. The venue is professionally managed for the State of Connecticut by Waterford Venue Services, an affiliate of Waterford Hotel Group. For more information, visit CTConventions.com or call 860-249-6000.