A group of teenaged campers is proving you don't need to hear "Happy" to feel it.
The ASL interpretation of Pharrell Williams' mega-hit song, filmed at Deaf Film Camp 2014, is the latest of a string of viral renditions featuring people from all walks of life celebrating the song's message -- from children in a Florida hospital to young Iranians to residents at a New Zealand retirement home.
Deaf Film Camp, a two-week summer experience for deaf and hard-of-hearing teens pursuing filmmaking, takes place every year in upstate New York. Campers participate in video editing and storytelling class, as well as outdoor activities in the Adirondack Mountains. This year, with the help of performance artist Rosa Lee Timm and ASL interpreter Azora Telford, the campers filmed the joyful music video above.
YouTube users rallied behind the video's message in the comments section. Monica Jones gave the video a "thumbs up," explaining her son has autism and communicates through ASL.
Another user, Judith Jessop, noted how the Internet has opened doors to opportunities that weren't possible in past decades.
"So HAPPY to see a happy video in ASL!" Jessop commented on the YouTube page. "The computer world has truly rocked the deaf community and brought the hearing and the deaf together in a way that I never knew back in the '70s!"
To learn more about Deaf Film Camp, visit the organization's website.
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