What is your connection to the deaf community?  

My connection started at home 26 years ago. My daughter, Camry, was born deaf, but we didn’t discover that until she was one year old. One day her dad was cleaning, and she decided that she wanted to ride the vacuum. Most kids, if not all, fear the spooky vacuum, so we knew something wasn’t right. Raising a hearing son and a daughter who just happens to be deaf was one for the books. I knew nothing about sign language but had to learn quickly so my daughter could develop her language.  I went to the library and checked out books, DVDs, and discovered that the Internet had so many free resources readily available for the deaf community and their families.  

We quickly became a bilingual family: English speaking and American Sign Language. I would use my voice to communicate with my son, and I had to sign simultaneously so my daughter could be engaged in the conversation and vice versa. You’re talking about multitasking with my mouth, facial expressions, and hands – whew! 

What has your daughter’s experience been with working in a hearing world?  

Because of limited employment opportunities, only certain jobs are available to the deaf community, e.g., warehouses or factories, which have fewer chances for career advancement and earning potential. I celebrate and appreciate these jobs, and if the deaf community could access additional training and interpreters on hearing jobs, the workforce would explode in a good way.  

Some of the barriers that my daughter has encountered have been great. She knows her American Disability Act (ADA) rights, so she requests an interpreter during job interviews and at orientation. And when she has medical, dental, and vision appointments, she informs the provider that she is deaf and requests an interpreter. For the most part, they provide one, but there are some who do not adhere to the ADA, and that’s when I step in to advocate for my daughter and remind the providers of her ADA rights as a deaf person!

What’s something we’d be surprised to learn about the deaf community?  

You would be surprised to learn that more than 90% of deaf children are born to hearing parents. Sadly, many hearing parents and families never learn to sign fluently – leaving the children to learn the best way they can. When I lived in Atlanta, my daughter’s friend, who is also deaf, went into labor, and her mother didn’t know how to sign. They called me to interpret and pray for the young lady before she was taken into surgery. I was honored and disappointed at the same time.  

I wish parents and families would love their deaf family members enough to learn their language. It’s simple as A-B-C, 1-2-3.