Summary: President Lisa Rose sent a letter to a number of Grammy Awards 2025 attending artists who brought their own ASL interpreters.
Text of letter (PDF attached at the end):
February 6, 2025
Dear Ms. Paris Hilton, Ms. Cynthia Erivo, Mr. Scott Hoying, Ms. Victoria Monet, Ms. Kehlani Ashley Parrisht, and Ms. Solána Imani Rowe,
On behalf of the National Association of the Deaf (NAD), I am writing to express our profound appreciation for your thoughtful decision to bring your own ASL interpreters to the 2025 Grammy Awards. In a time when accessibility initiatives face various challenges, your proactive commitment to ensuring Deaf audience members could fully participate in your moments at the Grammys demonstrates true leadership and inclusion.
As the oldest national civil rights organization, the NAD’s mission is to preserve, protect, and promote the civil, human, and linguistic rights of more than 48 million deaf and hard of hearing people in this country.
By taking personal initiative to provide ASL interpretation, you have shown that accessibility isn’t just an institutional responsibility—it’s a choice that individuals can and should make to ensure everyone has equal access to cultural events. Your actions serve as a powerful example to other artists and public figures.
The deaf and hard of hearing community notices and deeply appreciates when celebrities recognize our right to full participation in cultural events. Your decision goes beyond mere compliance—it shows genuine respect for and understanding of our community’s needs.
We hope your example will inspire others in the entertainment industry to follow suit and make ASL interpretation a standard practice at major events. Thank you for being champions of accessibility and inclusion.
Sincerely,
Lisa M Rose
President
National Association of the Deaf
NAD-Letter-to-Grammy-2025-celebrities.docx