SAN RAMON, Calif., Aug 19, 2009 -- Celebrating the stories, culture and heritage of America's Deaf and Hard of Hearing Community, Purple Communications(TM), Inc. (PRPL) will honor San Ramon resident, Ella Mae Lentz, distinguished ASL poet and advocate for American Sign Language (ASL).
Community members are encouraged to join in the celebration on August 22, 2009 at the San Ramon Marriott, 2600 Bishop Drive in San Ramon, CA. The event will feature former Miss Deaf America, Lauren Teruel Ridloff, as emcee of the festivities, which include an onstage interview with Ms. Lentz and 'Q&A' session from 6:45 pm to 9:00 pm, PDT. Purple will also host onsite workshops earlier that day, from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm, which include topics on local number registration and a product demo on its P3 optimized Purple Netbook.
The Dream Bigger campaign recognizes trailblazers in the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Community and aims to celebrate the advances they have made. Whether it has been the breaking down barriers or establishing new status quos, these Trailblazers have improved the overall quality-of-life for all members of the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Community. Ms. Ella Mae Lentz, along with nine other visionaries in the in the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Community, have been chosen as one of this year's finalists. Each finalist was awarded a $1,000 cash prize from Purple Communications to be donated to a non-profit organization of their choice and in their name as a way of paving the road for the next generation of trailblazers in the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Community. Ms. Lentz chose her organization, The Deafhood Foundation as the recipient of the $1,000 cash prize.
In October 2009, Purple Communications will announce the 2009 Trailblazer of the Year, one of the ten finalists, at the Dream Bigger Gala in Washington, D.C. The selected individual will be chosen by online voting at www.purple.us/dreambigger. The person selected will best represent the essence of the Dream Bigger initiative, and will receive $10,000 to be donated in their name, to their non-profit organization of choice, as well as an all-expenses-paid vacation.
Ella Mae Lentz is one of the nation's strongest advocates for ASL and the concept of Deafhood as well as an accomplished poet. She has co-authored numerous books on ASL and is an avid believer and advocate for equal status for those communicating in ASL. In her early years as a poet, her poems would be written in English and then translated to ASL. As Lentz dove deeper into the linguistics of poetry, she began applying these concepts to develop ASL poetry. ASL poetry mirrors her concept of Deafhood, embracing an identity that recognizes and celebrates the inherent value of Deaf people and respect for ASL.
"We are proud to honor Ms. Lentz and her passion for promoting Deafhood," said Brandon Arthur, Vice President of Marketing Communications of Purple Communications. "The Dream Bigger campaign is all about recognizing community visionaries who have the tenacity to fulfill personal dreams and lead the way for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing people everywhere to pursue theirs. Purple has always focused on creating cutting-edge technology services that make communication more convenient for its customers. We invite the local community to join us in celebrating Ms. Lentz's unwavering commitment to promoting and advocating for ASL."
Lentz would go on to help found the Deafhood Foundation with the same focus on emphasizing the importance of Deafhood. "We've not reached equality yet, and we need to get there quickly," says Lentz. "The right to Deafhood is inalienable for every Deaf child, woman and man. It's the sum of all positive meanings of 'Deaf', past, present and future; all the largest meanings of what Deaf people have been, are, and can be. This requires dreaming bigger and building a vision that is Deaf-centered and positive for future Deaf generations."
To learn more about the Dream Bigger campaign, find out dates and locations for all events, view and read Trailblazer stories, and vote for the 2009 Trailblazer of the Year, visit www.purple.us/dreambigger. Also, be sure to follow the Dream Bigger campaign on Twitter - www.twitter.com/idreambigger and Facebook -http://www.facebook.com/pages/Purple-Communications/42541479161.
About Purple Communications
Purple Communications is a leading provider of onsite interpreting services, video relay and text relay services, and video remote interpreting, offering a wide array of options designed to meet the varied communication needs of its customers. The Company's vision is to enable free-flowing communication between people, inclusive of differences in abilities, languages, or locations. For more information on the Company or its services, visit www.purple.us or contact Purple Communications directly by voice at 415-408-2300, by Internet relay by visiting www.i711.com or www.ip-relay.com, or by video phone by connecting to hovrs.tv.
To view this press release in video format please click here: www.purple.us/Press/Lentz.
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