A Springfield High School (SHS) teacher will be honored this week by the State of Ohio for championing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s vision of inclusivity.
Mr. Arlon Nash, a Sign Language Teacher at SHS, will receive the Ohio Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Commission Individual Award on Thursday at a ceremony in Columbus. Mr. Nash was nominated by fellow SHS teacher, Ms. Patricia Blair.
Mr. Nash is a Deaf educator, whose primary language is American Sign Language (ASL). He is a leader in the Ohio Deaf community, with over 20 years of experience teaching ASL in the SCSD and other educational institutions and holding leadership roles in several organizations. Mr. Nash has received numerous awards and accolades, including Clark County Teacher of the Year and a three-time recipient of the Teacher of the Year award from the National American Sign Language Teachers Association – the first Black Deaf person to do so.
“Arlon demonstrates daily the importance of diversity, equality and inclusion,” wrote Ms. Blair. “He believes that all of these are necessary to build a community that is not about our skin color or disability. As a teacher, he witnesses students develop and grow using ASL and encourages them to take it out of the classroom and apply it to the real world, connecting the hearing community with Deaf culture through outreach and performance opportunities. He hopes that teaching students how ASL can benefit both Deaf and hearing will show the importance of understanding the culture and the need for mutual respect.”
The Ohio Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Commission is a statewide advocate of Dr. King's principles of nonviolence. The Commission strives to carry out Dr. King's dream of service to others throughout the entire year through various events.