Note: This post includes:
- ASL Letter to the Community
- English translation of Letter to Community
- Sample letter for Call to Action, for community members to send email supporting NAD’s letter
- ASL Translation of Letter to Brian Kirk, FOX Sports
- English letter (emailed) to Brian Kirk, FOX Sports
ASL Community Letter:
English Translation of Community Letter:
Hello!
The NAD’s role – and mission! – is to advocate for the civil, human, and linguistic rights of deaf and hard of hearing people. This includes a wide variety of activities, ranging from early childhood intervention to senior care.
It also includes events and situations where our language should be respected, not hidden.
The NAD has long advocated for access to public events including sports. More than twenty years ago, delegates at the NAD Conference passed a priority that the NAD take legal action to ensure access in public venues. The NAD followed up by suing the Washington Redskins for access during NFL Games. The NAD has also successfully sued other college sports entities and other locations for access. The NAD has a long and proud history of advocating for linguistic access at public events.
Deaf ASL performers have been accompanying the national anthem singers at Super Bowls since 1992. In 1993, Marlee Matlin was fully visible during the entirety of her performance standing next to Garth Brooks. This is the standard that should be met.
The NAD understands that you – our community – do not want to watch a “separate but not really equal” broadcast channel. You want to sit with your family and friends, whether hearing, hard of hearing,or deaf, and cheer at the same screen.
The NAD has sent a formal request written a letter to Fox Sports, advocating “that whenever an ASL performer is featured, their entire performance be shown on main broadcast screens (similar to the 1993 broadcast) in full or via picture-in-picture (PIP) technology, unobstructed by closed captioning. The same treatment should apply to the big screen inside the Caesars Superdome showcasing the Super Bowl LIX, for the benefit of deaf and hard of hearing people in attendance.”
We encourage the community to join our advocacy efforts. You can express your support of this by contacting both Fox Sports and the NFL. We have drafted sample language (see below) for you to use.
I hope to be able to report great news to you after the Super Bowl! Good luck to your favorite teams!
—-
Sample letter
send to: [email protected]
Hello,
I am writing to request that you honor the recent request by the National Association of the Deaf regarding ASL performers at the Super Bowl: whenever an ASL performer is featured, their entire performance be shown on main broadcast screens in full or via picture-in-picture (PIP) technology, unobstructed by closed captioning. The same treatment should apply to the big screen inside the Caesars Superdome showcasing the Super Bowl LIX , for the benefit of deaf and hard of hearing people in attendance.
Thank you,
<your name>
ASL translation of the letter to Brian Nick:
English letter, Emailed to [email protected] :
Brian Nick
Chief Communications Officer and Executive Vice President
FOX Corporation
Dear Mr. Nick,
The National Association of the Deaf, the premier civil rights organization of, by and for deaf and hard of hearing people, is writing to Fox Sports to encourage the network to uphold its mission of fostering a culture of belonging where everyone, from everywhere, feels welcome and can thrive.”
The Super Bowl has been held annually, and Deaf ASL performers have accompanied the National Anthem singers since 1992. In 1993, Marlee Matlin was fully visible during her performance, standing next to Garth Brooks. This is the standard we believe should be upheld.
In 2020, artist Christine Sun Kim performed the national anthem and the half time show in ASL at the Super Bowl. Unfortunately, Fox Sports broadcast only three seconds of her performance, and even the “dedicated” separate broadcast channel cut away from her. This led Ms. Kim to write a scathing editorial in the New York Times, titled, “I Performed at the Super Bowl. You Might Have Missed Me.”
Link: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/03/opinion/national-anthem-sign-language.html
Over 40 million people in the United States have significant hearing loss, and for a sizable percentage of these people, American Sign Language (ASL) is their preferred language of communication.
The NAD seeks to avoid a repeat of past disappointments and subsequent negative press. We applaud the intentions of the NFL and Fox to include ASL performers this year’s pre- and halftime shows, including the national anthem. We respectfully request that whenever an ASL performer is featured, their entire performance be shown on main broadcast screens (similar to the 1993 broadcast) in full or via picture-in-picture (PIP) technology, unobstructed by closed captioning. The same treatment should apply to the big screen inside the Caesars Superdome showcasing the Super Bowl LIX, for the benefit of deaf and hard of hearing people in attendance. We also expect this to occur at future Super Bowl events which may be handled by other broadcasting companies.
We understand that there may be separate but not really equal internet broadcast channels that include the ASL performer. However, a large percentage of our community does not have access to broadband internet. Many prefer to watch the game with family and friends in living rooms and sports bars, and they want to celebrate with the millions of others watching the Super Bowl while seeing the sport, the country, and their language all celebrated on the big screen.
We look forward to a positive response by January 31st, 2025 and a commitment to work together ensuring that the ASL performers will be shown without interruption during broadcast coverage of the Super Bowl LIX.
Sincerely,
Lisa M Rose
Email: [email protected]
President