The ASL Ranch is intended to be a permanent year-round facility for conferences, conventions, tournaments, to be a think-tank, foster support for, and to increase, knowledge of American Sign Language (ASL).

ASL Ranch Project
Leadership in The 21st Century

The EFTC Board of Directors is proposing to designate a large semi-rural property as a permanent base to meet the needs of the many organizations of Deaf and hard of hearing consumers, businesses and educational entities by providing them with use of a fully-accessible facility where they can coordinate their many existing and long-needed activities.

Such activities would include Retreats, Tournaments Conventions, Camping and Field Excursions, Picnics, Weddings, and opportunities for special interest a minority groups within the Deaf and hard of hearing communities.

The ASL Ranch site will also be barrier visual-oriented addressing issues such as visibility, communications, technology, cultural leadership, improved self-esteem, management and administration, role models, as well as strategies and means to improved understanding of sign language.

When this project was first announced in 1994, the plan was also to designate the ASL Ranch as a permanent site for the annual DEAF EXPO™, and be completely designed to serve as a national model program specifically for Deaf and hard of hearing consumers, although it will always be open to the general public.

The ASL Ranch project was launched in memory of Rodrick William Rogers, one of EFTC's founding Board members. It was his dream to raise funds to purchase semi-rural property for a permanent year-round convention, tournament, special event and camping facility specifically designed for deaf and hard of hearing consumers. This property would also be made available to sign language and Deaf Culture students as well as Deaf people everywhere.

This project was announced during the ASL Festival on Saturday, November 12,1994. Mary Anne Meade representing General Motors Corporation, presented Miss Deaf America 1994, Maureen Yates, with a donation during the evening program to formally kick off this long term fund raising project. Other donations were also made by individuals, businesses and organizations in memory of Rick Rogers, the person who brainstormed details of this project.

Rick tragically passed away on Thursday, September 22, 1994 as result of injuries he sustained when he was hit by an automobile while crossing the street in North Hollywood, CA. He was 33 years old.

EFTC believes that the quality of life of 22 million Deaf and Hard of Hearing Americans can be significantly improved by an increased understanding between the Deaf Community and the broader general society, and by activities that empower the Deaf Community to fully participate in all aspects of American life.

Coordinating events and programming in public facilities involves tremendous challenges in accommodating the specific needs of Deaf and Hard of Hearing patrons. Other national and regional organizations representing Deaf and Hard of Hearing consumers have expressed similar concerns in assuming additional expenses of temporarily modifying facilities for their events.

The ASL Ranch would provide Deaf people with a self autonomous environment to serve as a year-round facility for deaf-run organizations to host their conferences, conventions, tournaments and retreats.

EFTC currently does not receive any government funding or grants. Federal ID #95-4146735, Corporation No. #C1430916.