This week marks the 3rd annual Deaf Awareness Week at NIU.

Shari Admonis, counselor for the Department of Hearing Impaired, said the week has been “very successful” in previous years and “it gets better every year.”

Admonis also said, “This week really helps develop awareness of hearing impairment and hearing impaired students on campus.”

Throughout the week, events are scheduled to help heighten awareness. Many of the events will take place at Grant South.

Tuesday, at 7 p.m., in the B formal lounge of Grant South, there will be a speaker discussing how far hearing impaired individuals have come in society. Such topics as equal rights for the hearing impaired and accessibility to the hearing world will be covered.

Wednesday, “Sign Sync” will take place in the Grant South cafeteria. This contest is similar to lip sync, except that the words to popular songs are spelled out in sign language.

Thursday, the exhibition room of The Midwest Conference for the Hearing Impaired will be open to the public in the Illinios Room of the Holmes Student Center. The exhibition will have displays from companies that manufacture devices and equipment for the hearing impaired and representatives from schools for the hearing impaired.

In the evening, a panel will discuss struggles and triumphs of hearing impaired people in the B formal lounge of Grant South.The panel discussion will be followed by a social.

Friday, the Speech and Hearing Clinic will give free hearing screening tests from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.