YOSEMITE – Yosemite National Park is celebrating the 35th anniversary of the park’s Deaf Services Program.
To celebrate this milestone, the park will host special programs throughout the weekend of Friday, Oct. 24, through Sunday, Oct. 26.
Special programs will include a Junior Ranger talk and Nature Walk given by certified American Sign Language (ALS) providers. There will also be a celebration on Saturday evening, Oct. 25, at the Yosemite Lodge Amphitheater to honor the founders of Deaf Services.
Additionally, sign language interpreters will be available throughout the weekend at the Yosemite Valley Visitor Center to provide interpreting for other normally scheduled park programs.
The Deaf Services Program at Yosemite National Park was founded in 1979 by a group of National Park Service employees, volunteers, and community members including Len McKenzie, Donna Pritchett, Maureen Fitzgerald, Dale Dahl, and Mary Ellen Lentz. Since the inception of the program, Yosemite has hired a full-time sign language interpreter every summer to provide services to the hearing impaired. For a more information and a complete schedule of all special events, please visit the Deaf Services page.
Yosemite’s Deaf Services Program is part of a larger program designed to help visitors with disabilities easily access the park’s resources and visitor services. The park is committed to providing access to the greatest number of individuals.
From designing and building new facilities to the rehabilitation of older buildings, accessibility has a key component in all projects. For more information about disability services in Yosemite, you can download the Yosemite Accessibility Guide when you visit the Accessibility page.
