Jacksonville – Dr. Sam Supalla, a well-known storyteller, author and lecturer, will present “Deaf to Deaf,” a celebration of deaf awareness, on Sunday, September 17 at MacMurray College.

     The program is a multi-media presentation/performance in honor of the Deaf community. Current trends challenged Dr. Supalla to create a program to address some of the distressing and confusing issues that Deaf people face.

      Personal anecdotes, film clips, scholarly debate, and stories are included in this new program designed to guide listeners through a maze of strife and tribulations, towards hope for the future.

      “The goal of this program is to create a platform for future scholarship that centers on language and literacy and will help Deaf people pursue their rightful place in society,” says Dr. Supalla.

      “Deaf to Deaf” will be held in the Marian Chase Schaeffer Studio Theatre located on the 2nd floor of the Jenkins Education Complex. Curtain time is 7:30 p.m.

      On Monday, September 18, Dr. Supalla will hold a book/video signing in the Irma Latzer Gamble Campus Center just outside the bookstore from 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Copies of the ASL Literature Series: Collector’s Edition and The Book of Name Signs: Naming in American Sign Language will be available for sale in the bookstore.

      Sam Supalla, Ph.D., is an associate professor in the Department of Special Education, Rehabilitation, and School Psychology at the University of Arizona. His focus is on understanding and meeting the linguistic needs of deaf children through both research and program development. His work has been funded by the National Institutes of Health, the U.S. Department of Education, and the James S. McDonnell Foundation.

      For more information, contact Dr. Laura Blackburn at 217-479-7167 or Laura.Blackburn@mac.edu.

     Located in Jacksonville, Ill., MacMurray College is a private, four-year, liberal arts, coeducational college, founded in 1846, and affiliated with the United Methodist Church. Its friendly, informal environment stresses academic excellence, personal attention, career experience, and well-rounded development of each individual.