A new type of town, called Deaf Town, was created Tuesday evening in the Holmes Student Center’s Skyroom.

Organizers Tertia Jeppson, vice president of DeafPride, and club President Kaitlyn DeVita promoted and held the event to educate the public on Deaf Awareness week.

All were welcome to the event, which brought together Deaf and non-Deaf members of the community. No words were spoken as people went around to tables that resembled frequented places around the community that hold social gatherings.

“We want people to experience what it is like to be the minority in a ‘town’ that does not use their first language,” DeVita said. “Just like Deaf people experience daily.”

Places represented included the Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic, Molly’s Eatery & Drinkery, the Holmes Student Center, Brigham Field, Rosy’s Roadhouse and The Junction Eating Place.

At each table were sign language communicators talking to visitors. The visitors would read and communicate off a designated piece of paper using sign language, actions and mouthed words.

Ariel Arostegui, junior rehabilitation service- occupational therapy track major, said she learned more words in sign and became more interested in learning sign language. Arostegui is a Deafness rehabilitation minor.

“[Sign language] is universal for the United States and it is a good way to communicate overall,” Arostegui said.

DeafPride hosts meetings and works on bringing the Deaf and non-Deaf members of NIU together.

“We host Deaf Awareness Week to bring awareness to the hearing world, primarily, what being Deaf means to those that are Deaf,” DeVita said.

Zhizi Li, senior general studies major, also wants to learn sign but believes it is hard to do.

“I think it definitely teaches people how its like to not be able to communicate with other people … [it] teaches how hard it is to be the outsider, [considering] they are such a small group of people,” Li said.

Deaf Town was among the first of the events being held this week for Deaf Awareness Week.