About Our Organization
The Canadian Cultural Society of the Deaf (CCSD), a registered non-profit organization incorporated, 1973, represents Canada’s national Deaf cultural and arts interests and has received numerous awards for its Sign Languages and Deaf arts productions, publications and digital Sign Language programming.
Sign Language Institute Canada (SLIC) is established under the auspices of CCSD to strive for higher standards in teaching American Sign Language (ASL) and signed languages of Canadian Deaf Communities across Canada.
The DEAF CULTURE CENTRE, a project of CCSD founded in 2006, is located in the Distillery Historic District, Toronto. The CCSD has recently acquired a new location in Grand Digue, New Brunswick, which will serve as the national headquarters for the DEAF CULTURE CENTRE. It is open to the public and rooted in the Deaf community. The Centre promotes visual and performing artists through professional visual art exhibitions in its gallery, sign language theatre performances and film productions. It hosts 60,000 visitors annually (pre-pandemic), and mentors Deaf / hearing students and interns.
The DEAF CULTURE CENTRE’s current project is to expand Deaf arts training on a national scale and to increase the arts eco-system to support Deaf visual and sign language performing artists and arts professionals.
CCSD relies on donations, earned revenues, sponsorships and grants.
The key mandates of the Canadian Cultural Society of the Deaf (CCSD) are as follows:
- To preserve, encourage and advance the cultural and sign language interests of Canada’s Deaf population
- To promote Deaf and sign language arts, media arts and literature
- To advance sign languages across Canada
- To encourage new and developing forms of creativity, research, participation and interest in the arts
- To develop and promote Deaf heritage, sign language and sign language literature resources
- To foster humanities, social sciences and sign language literacy development.
- To build community, foster greater sense of belonging and agency for Deaf Canadians
- To increase social equity for Deaf Canadians
- To guide provincial societies in their cultural pursuits and in highlighting the unique cultural contributions of the Deaf community
- To promote better understanding between Deaf and hearing people
- To advocate for Deaf employment across Canada
- To provide a warm, welcoming, and thriving culturally Deaf space for both Deaf and hearing visitors.
In addition, CCSD is committed to strengthening our upcoming Deaf generation through providing job opportunities for young Canadian Deaf performing artists, celebrating young Deaf artist achievements, and promoting Deaf well-being by reducing the stigma associated with being Deaf and increasing understanding between Deaf and hearing people through the arts, signed languages and Deaf culture diversity.