Pictured: Joshua Hoskins, Meli Stamp, Sheila Loring, Josh Sheedy, and Tommy Minch wearing gray MeAD shirt, posing in a line at the NAD conference.

Maine Heads to NAD 2026: MeAD Sends Second-Largest State Delegation in the Country

July 8, 2026

Maine is showing up.

From June 30 to July 5, 2026, the National Association of the Deaf holds its 58th Biennial Conference in San Francisco — and MeAD is sending 5 people.

That makes Maine the second-largest state delegation in the country. Only Pennsylvania, with 7, has us beat.

Let that sink in. Maine is a small state with one staff member running its only Deaf-led advocacy organization. And we are showing up to the most important gathering in American Deaf civic life with the second-largest delegation in the nation.

Our Delegation

MeAD’s 2026 NAD delegation includes:

  • Delegates: Sheila Loring, Melinda Stamp, Thomas Minch
  • Alternate: Josh Sheedy
  • Observer: Joshua Hoskins

MeAD’s Commitments at NAD 2026

MeAD is not just attending — we are arriving with a focused agenda. Of NAD’s five strategic priorities for 2026, MeAD is formally committing to two:

  • Emergency Response — Building on our Lewiston response work, our FCC advocacy, and our partnership with the Maine Criminal Justice Academy, MeAD is positioned to contribute meaningfully to NAD’s national emergency communications agenda.
  • Deaf-Disabled — Recognizing the significant overlap between the Deaf community and people with disabilities, and the gaps in services that result when systems fail to account for both identities, MeAD is committed to advancing NAD’s work on Deaf-Disabled access and inclusion.

These are not new issues for us. They are the core of what MeAD has been doing in Maine — and now we bring that experience to the national table.

Why NAD Matters

The NAD Biennial Conference is where the American Deaf community sets its national agenda. The Council of Representatives — made up of delegates from state associations like MeAD — votes on resolutions, elects national leadership, and shapes the policy priorities that NAD will pursue for the next two years.

Every delegate Maine sends is a vote for our community’s priorities at the national level. Emergency communications. Interpreter quality. Deaf education. Mental health access. Legal rights. These are not abstract issues — they are the daily realities of Deaf life in Maine and across the country.

MeAD’s History with NAD

This is not MeAD’s first time making an impact at NAD. At the 2024 NAD Biennial Conference in Chicago, MeAD received the Spirit of NAD Award — special recognition for our response to the Lewiston tragedy. The NAD Board of Directors then visited Maine in September 2024, holding their meeting at the Maine Resiliency Center in Lewiston.

In 2026, we go back — not to receive recognition, but to do the work.

Follow Along

We will share updates from the conference on our Facebook page and YouTube channel. Follow us at:

Maine’s Deaf community deserves a strong voice at the national table. We will be there.

Maine Association of the Deaf (MeAD) is Maine’s only Deaf-led advocacy organization. Est. 1877. Learn more at deafmaine.org.

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