Posted on: Tuesday, July 16, 2002

Deaf groups plan Waikiki meeting

Advertiser Staff

A non-profit organization that assists deaf people in Hawai'i will host an international conference next June in Waikiki.

The Deaf of the Pacific Rim will conduct the conference with the National Asian Deaf Congress on June 24-29, 2003 at the Waikiki Renaissance 'Ilikai Hotel.

It will be the first international conference on deafness in the history of Hawai'i, said Paul Tomiyasu, president of the Deaf of the Pacific Rim. The last conference in Washington, D.C., drew more than 600 people.

The Waikiki conference will include workshops, a fashion luncheon, a comedy show, deaf Asian folklore and the Miss National Asian Deaf Congress Pageant. Other issues such as heritage and cultural exchange among the various Asian and Pacific deaf will also be featured.

The Deaf of the Pacific Rim organization was established in 1999 to focus on the needs of the deaf in Hawai'i. The organization focuses on the quality of life, education and communication workshops, among other issues.