Welcome to Belleville Association of the Deaf's website!
We are a non-profit organization and one of our most important goals is to serve the Deaf, Hard of Hearing and Deafened people in Belleville and surrounding areas. We also provide annual community-based events ⁄ activities for deaf residents who live in Belleville and surrounding areas as well.
Belleville Association of the Deaf (B.A.D.) announced its new logo and 25th anniversary at O.A.D. (Ontario Association of the Deaf) / B.A.D. Celebration and Conference held in Belleville, Ontario on November 11 and 12, 2011. The new logo was intended to "represent the unity of the Deaf community to remain strong now and into the future while protecting our values - our language, culture and traditional ties".
The image of the City Hall represents Belleville where the Belleville Association of the Deaf was founded in 1986.
The waving hands refer to our value of American Sign Language (ASL) through our eyes.
The six individuals represent different segments of Deaf community - the Culturally Deaf; Hard of Hearing; Oral Deaf; Cochlear Implanted Deaf; Deafened and Hearing friends and families.
• The first individual represents the culture.
• The second individual represents the social dynamics.
• The third individual represents the recreational activities.
• The fourth individual represents the learning experience.
• The fifth individual represents affiliation with and serving with other local, regional and provincial and national organizations.
• The sixth individual represents the positive contributions to society as a whole.
The six individuals together in a group represent the unity of the Deaf community to remain strong now and into the future while protecting our values - our language, culture and traditional ties.
Greetings from B.A.D. President!
My short term goal is to prepare people to take the torch for the next part of our journey:
It is important to realize BAD will continue to carry on business and host social events for the next two years because we have loyal members working hard. Salute to them!!!
Secondly, we revised the By-Laws and passed them on November 3, 2012. Therefore, starting this year we have three Directors at Large working with parents, youth and senior citizens, instead of social directors and sport directors. This may help us include all age groups as we get together at all occasions.
Thirdly, I will encourage people to become familiar with being in charge of an event by joining committees. Let's help them learn how to run an event. We want them to get experience as they will be our future leaders.
Lastly, my long term goal is to work on getting a place with storage where we can also hold our social events, meetings, other gatherings. We will continue to work on this matter.
Sincerely,
Ken Roberts, B.A.D. President
MISSION STATEMENT
The Belleville Association of the Deaf, as representative of our local Deaf and Hard of Hearing community, works with local, regional and national organizations to:
Provide learning, leadership and social opportunities for Deaf individuals including children and youth.
Preserve and promote the history and merits of American Sign Language (ASL) and culture.
Educate society as a whole on the positive contributions made by the community, past and present.
Advocate for accessible services and promote the general well-being of the individuals we represent.