The Utah Association of the Deaf (UAD) is a non-profit organization founded in 1909, dedicated to the educational, social, and economic welfare of Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and Deaf-Blind individuals in Utah. It is one of the oldest state Deaf associations in the United States and serves as the state affiliate of the National Association of the Deaf (NAD). UAD was founded during the first alumni reunion of the Utah School for the Deaf in Ogden, emerging under the guidance of then-Superintendent Frank M. Driggs and trailblazing Deaf alumna Elizabeth DeLong, who became its first president — and the first Deaf female NAD state association president in the nation.
Board members are elected at the biennial UAD Conference to serve a two-year term. UAD officers can be contacted via Jodi Becker at JodiBecker28@gmail.com for officer information, resignations, and replacements.
Current Board (2024–2026):
The first Deaf president of the Utah Association of the Deaf was Elizabeth DeLong, a trailblazer who pre-dated women's suffrage (19th Amendment, 1920) and broke barriers for Deaf women in national leadership roles. She was the first Deaf female NAD state association president in the entire nation. Utah women were also the first in the United States to legally vote in modern American history (1870). Deaf women members were not permitted to vote in NAD elections until 1964.
The Utah Association of the Deaf was established in 1909 during the first alumni reunion of the Utah School for the Deaf (USD) in Ogden, Utah. The USD itself was founded in 1884 by the territorial legislature as a branch of the University of Deseret (now the University of Utah) in Salt Lake City, championed by parents John Beck and William Wood. It moved to its historic Ogden campus in 1896 as Utah attained statehood.
The 1909 UAD Convention at USD in Ogden drew 49 graduates, marking a significant milestone in the organization's founding. Since then, UAD has been a champion for the human, civil, accessibility, and linguistic rights of individuals who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and Deaf-Blind in Utah.
UAD holds conferences every two years, along with its officers. The organization has maintained continuous service to the Utah Deaf community for over 117 years.
UAD's Articles of Incorporation encompass five areas:
UAD operates under bylaws adopted in March 2024. Board meetings are held 10 times a year on the 2nd Wednesday of every month (except July and December) at 5:00 PM, virtually via Zoom. Occasionally meetings are held in person at the Robert G. Sanderson Community Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (5709 S 1500 W Taylorsville, UT 84123). Meetings are called to order at 5:30 PM; the public is welcome to join.
UAD advocates for Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and Deaf-Blind individuals in Utah through:
UAD represents the state by sending delegates to the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) Biennial Conference. The most recent was the 58th Biennial NAD Conference (June 30–July 5, 2026, in San Francisco).
Regular Events:
2026 Major Events:
For upcoming events and meeting locations, follow the UAD Facebook page or subscribe to UAD's mailing list.
UAD presents prestigious awards to community members for their contributions. Past award recipients and award significance are documented in the UAD Bulletins Archive, which contains all UAD Bulletins dating back to 1954. The archives were compiled by Philippe Montalette and Stephen Persinger, with scanning by Rob Kerr.
UAD welcomes any Deaf Utahns to be a member. Membership registration is available at www2.uad.org/register/individual-membership/.