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Dr. Suzette Garay, National Speaker, Instructor

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Dr. Suzette Garay is the owner of Baby Signs 4 U and is a national speaker.  She was the first Hispanic Deaf woman to obtain a Ph.D.

Sign Language Classes at Apple Ridge Academy

The Benefits of Using Sign Language with Preverbal Babies 

Tell me about your job.  How did you get into this line of work?

My primary work is teaching.  I teach the following Psychology, ASL, and Parent/Infants (hearing pre-verbal babies) to utilize sign language before they speak.  My desires to teach be it in a school, college, and/or private practice has been a long-standing dream of mine since I was in high school.  My decision to become a teacher comes from experiencing my own personal frustrations, lack of access to information, and/or discrimination to participate in opportunities due to poor special education services or no interpreters llowed in my classes back then in 1970′s.

What is the best part of your job?

Seeing how children are inspired, motivated, and determined to excel after knowing it is possible (role model) when their teacher standing before them has done it.

What are some of the challenges of your job?

-Convincing parents that all things are possible even if their child cannot hear or has something lacking or limiting them learning in the same way most children learn. 

-Convincing people that I am worthy of my expertise when it comes to making profound decisions on a child’s life or deciding whether or not a child can learn with the best informed-choices that are available.  Sometimes, people have preconceived notions of what children with disabilities can or cannot do.

-Avoiding the labels of being “exceptional”, “gifted”, “genius”, “having all the answers,” etc…  sometimes people try to put me on high pedestal for being the ideal Deaf, woman with Ph.D., First Latina, and/or overcoming adversity when I just want to be that “normal” person who worked hard to achieve what I had to overcome.

-Meeting the needs or demands of the expectations people assume you can provide all the answers or hope for their child in need. So many people are desperate for your services or inspiration, but you can’t meet everyone’s need. Your only one person with so many hours available to help others.  Sometimes, you have to take care of yourself first before you can take care of others.

What was it like growing up deaf/hard of hearing?

My journey as a deaf child was very unusual than most would people would endure in their childhood.  First, even though I was born profoundly deaf, my deafness was not identified till I was almost 13 years old.  This is mostly due to the fact that I was shuffled through the welfare/foster care system which moved me in and out of more than 16 foster homes.  This means that on the average I lived with the families approximately 90 days or so.  When there was an opportunity to consider a possible hearing loss I was already moving onto another home.  Those first 13 years of my life were an incredible journey of exploring, learning, and understanding the world around me.

After the 13 years, I finally had the right to be deaf and it changed the perceptions of how others would view me.  Some were good and some were bad perceptions of what I could or couldn’t do as a deaf child.  I loved music, in the sense of feeling the vibrations and often would be in the hands of authorities for “disturbing the neighbors” for blasting music so I could enjoy it. Schools became more restricted with learning, participating, and being treated differently with lower expectations of what I could learn or do because I was deaf or came from a lower social-economic background or simply because I was “too bright” has a handicap child. 

Most of last 5 years of schooling was devoted to speech therapy, auditory rehab due years of needing to catch up.  This resulted in lost opportunities to participate in sports or extra-curricular activities that
hearing students had.

What advice would you give a deaf/hard of  hearing person who is looking for a career like yours?

-Never take NO for an answer!
-Always believe in yourself and only you can determine what you want to be
or do in your life (no one should decide for you).
-Have lots of patience with people who don’t understand your intentions to
excel in whatever you want to do.
-Don’t be afraid to ask for help and be grateful when others do help you.
-Never forget where you came from or your shortcomings so you can always be glad to help others when they are in need, especially if you are going to teach the little ones who will be looking up to you.
-Pick the right college that will give you the most support not just the name of the school because it’s popular.
-Don’t be afraid to stand up for what you believe is the right thing to do even if it is not the most popular thing others want you to do.

Mary-Beth Robie, Advertising Coordinator

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Last year, I met Mary-Beth Robie at the Illinois Hands & Voices Mom’s Night Inn event.  Mary-Beth grew up with Cued Speech and she currently works as an Advertising Coordinator.  I asked her to share a bit about herself and her job:

I grew up in a rural area in northern Vermont and was the only known deaf cuer for most of my elementary and high school years. My parents learned how to cue through an audiotape narrated by Dr. Cornett, the inventor of Cued Speech. My two older sisters learned how to cue through osmosis as did I. To this day they still cue well even though they  hardly ever practice cueing. My oldest sister would teach her friends some basic cues so they could communicate to each other in the classroom or around the school without anyone else understanding what they were saying. Since my parents cued all the time, I was able to access the same level of language as my siblings. My sisters also provided me with more language exposure through their cueing.

Cued speech requires lip movement when in use and I believe that has enhanced my ability to lip read people when I interact with random people in the real world on an occasional basis. While I had a hearing neighbor who learned how to cue at a young age, I didn’t meet any otherdeaf cuers until I went to college which inspired me to learn more about Cued Speech and how to give back to the community. I’ve become more involved by joining the National Cued Speech Association Board as regional representative of the Great Lakes region. I also serve as the
layout editor for the On Cue newsletter, a publication of the NCSA.

Tell me about your educational background growing up and going to college.

I was raised in a rural area in Northern Vermont. From K-12, I was mainstreamed with a Cued Language Transliterator (CLT). I attended SUNY Plattsburgh in New York for my first year of college, but discovered that the accommodations they promised me were not being provided so I decided to transfer to Rochester Institute of Technology. Again, once I arrived at RIT, I was not provided with a CLT so had to learn how to sign and be able to understand the sign language interpreters. Times
have changed since I left RIT and they have provided CLT’s for fellow students. So progress has been made on that end which is exciting for me.

What is your degree/s in?

My degree is in Digital Imaging Publishing and Technology, which is basically a Graphic Design degree.

Tell me about some of the jobs you have held prior to your current job.

I’ve been working since I was 13 years old, but through and after college I worked as a cashier at Target while searching for a full time job in the printing industry. I finally landed a job as a Production
Artist with a small printing company in Syracuse, NY. I worked there for three years before deciding I needed to move on in order to move up the ladder. I decided to accept a job in Oak Brook, Illinois starting out as a Photo Coordinator for an international printing company, RR Donnelley.
In my almost 2 years of working there, I have been promoted to Lead Photo Coordinator and was recently promoted to Advertising Coordinator.

What company do you work for and what is your position?

I work for RR Donnelley’s Facilities Management site at our customer location in Oak Brook, Illinois. I am currently making the transition into my new position as an Advertising Coordinator. As Lead Photo
Coordinator, I had to depend on a lot of internal communication to be able to coordinate digital images and the central database repository.

As Advertising Coordinator I will work closely with the Print, Merchandising and Advertising departments to ensure all information provided produced accurate retail content, required deadlines are met, and final client proofs and files to printers are provided.

Can you share a typical day on the job?

Before it used to be a lot of email communication and little interaction with co-workers, but they saw I had the potential to work with customers one on one, so with my new position there will be a lot more verbal communication going on. I have to ensure I meet the retailers needs as to what they want advertised in their store circular, posters, postcards, or any other type of print out. I enter a lot of information into the databases in which the artists depend on for accurate information in order to design to the retailers needs.

What are some of the challenges you’ve faced on the job?

Meetings are a big challenge for me. I always have to make sure I understand everything that was said.  I personally don’t like to rely much on other people for assistance especially since we work in a fast paced environment, but I always realize at the end that teamwork is important and I am there to please the clients and the only way that can happen is if I step up to the plate and ensure I ask for repeats or for a handout or summary of what was discussed in the meeting. Our meetings are rarely scheduled in advance. They usually are a spur of the moment type where it’s impossible for me to request for a CLT or CART to be present within minutes.

What are some ways you’ve overcome any communication challenges?

I am now a big fan of follow-up emails. Usually after I meet with a client, my boss or someone important, I will ask them to kindly send me a follow up email with what was discussed in the meeting. I have built up the confidence to email people back especially if I feel I have missed something that was included in the follow-up email. I do take an extra minute after a meeting has come to an end to warn them that I may ask questions about what was discussed. I think that helps lighten up the situation before it happens. Before I would spend too much time trying to figure out what they may or may not have said. I can tell you that method doesn’t produce much success.

What advice would you share with a deaf/hard of hearing person who is considering career choices?

Be confident and honest. Tell human resources or your boss-to-be what accommodations you need and be willing to negotiate with them to a point where it works for both of you. Don’t come off too demanding or you will scare them away.

Susan Elliott, Colorado Teacher of the Year

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Susan Elliott rocks.

The Colorado teacher who teaches Social Studies at Highland Ranch High School has won the Teacher of the Year Award.  Susan is deaf and teaches in a center-based program for deaf and hard of hearing students.   Susan previously served on the board of Gallaudet University and currently serves on the board of Hands & Voices, a non-profit organization for families with deaf and hard of hearing children.  Susan also served as a Commissioner for six years on the Colorado Commission of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing .

Check out the other news stories:

Susan Elliott, A Sign of Achievement

Deaf Instructor Named Teacher of the Year

 

**Photo courtesy of Hands & Voices.

Dr. Carolyn Stern, Family Practice Physician

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I can clearly remember the first time I met Dr. Carolyn Stern– I was filled with a million questions.  “How do you listen through the stethoscope?” was one of the questions that I asked. 

“I have an amplified stethoscope,” she explained.  “I can also sometimes feel for blood pressure.”

Dr. Stern was the first doctor that I had ever met who was deaf.  After chatting with her, I learned that there were many more deaf and hard of hearing individuals in the medical field.  At one time, I wanted to go into nursing, but I was pretty discouraged by a well-meaning counselor who pointed out all the difficulties I would encounter in the medical field because I was deaf.  This is why I feel it is so important to show deaf and hard of hearing youth today that they can indeed, do many things in many fields.

Today, Dr. Stern is the Medical Director at the Rochester School for the Deaf and she works in Urgent Care at St. Mary’s Walk-In Care Center.  Dr. Stern is also the creator and founder of DeafDoc.org, a website that covers many different health care issues presented in American Sign Language and captions.  I love the quote on her site: “The difficult is easy, the impossible just takes a little longer!”

To learn more about Dr. Stern: The Deaf Doc is In!

John Kinstler, Communication Technology Counselor

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My first introduction to John Kinstler was on YouTube, where I came across one of my favorite John Denver songs translated into American Sign Language.  I was immediately captivated by John’s interpretation of “Looking for Space,” for he signed it beautifully.  You can view the video here and the lyrics here.

John Kinstler works as a Communication Technology Counselor at the Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing /UniversaLink in Wisconsin.  The non-profit organization has a store and online catalog that specializes in products for deaf and hard of hearing consumers.

I work with a team of three others,” said John.   “We assist customers with their questions about products that we carry and help them decide on what products to purchase by demonstrating them.   We help them select products that will help alert them to their environment, such as the doorbell ringing,  the phone ringing, or a baby crying .”

John grew up in Madison, Wisconsin, attending schools in the mainstream.  “My parents did not want me to learn American Sign Language,” said John.  “I went to NTID/RIT at the age of eighteen.  I wanted to escape, to find my deaf identity.”

In college, John began to soak up ASL like a sponge.  He discovered that he enjoyed acting and he loved signing to music.  “I grew up on John Denver’s music.  I first learned his songs in grade school.  The teacher printed out the lyrics to ‘Country Roads’ and I was able to follow along with practice, listening to the songs over and over.”

For ten years, John dove into acting.  He performed with the National Theatre of the Deaf, Sunshine Too and the Cleveland Sign Stage Theatre.  John produced a DVD, Sign and ABCs which won a Parent Choice Award in 1994.

In 2005, John obtained a cochlear implant and then a second one in 2007.  “My understanding of speech went from seven percent to eighty-eight percent,” said John.  “Music became sharper and I was surprised to be able to pick out various instruments that I wasn’t able to hear in songs with my hearing aids.”

Today, John is working on a new career path: becoming a comedian.  He is doing stand-up comedy and practicing his comedy skills in local comedy clubs.

Deaf or Hard of Hearing–When to Tell A Potential Employer

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When hunting for a job, do you indicate that you are deaf or hard of hearing on your resume or the job application?

The Wall Street Journal tackled the topic in their article, Finding the Right Way to Disclose a Disability:

Disclosing a disability is a personal decision but can be beneficial if done right. Only you can decide whether — and when — to tell your new employer about your disability. Disclosing a condition can help protect your legal rights but can also leave you open to discrimination. Still, experts say you’re better off giving management a heads-up.

Among my deaf and hard of hearing friends, there seems to be a lot of divide on the issue of whether or not to disclose a disability when applying for a job.  “Don’t give the Human Resources department an excuse to dump your resume in the reject pile,” says Lenny Kepil, who works for Tellabs.  When Lenny was laid off from his job at Lucent Technologies a few years ago, it took him several thousand resumes and a few interviews later to land a job back in the same field. 

Karina Chupina explains the “catch 22″ that comes with job hunting in her article, A Look at Education and Employment in Germany:

Getting a job nearly always poses a plaguing dilemma for the deaf and hard of hearing: whether they should disclose their disability or not when sending their CV or resume to a potential employer. The controversy centers about the fact that the employer cannot reject an applicant on the basis of disability, but practice shows that applicants who have identified themselves as hard of hearing or deaf persons often are rejected. It remains unclear whether there was a biased attitude towards the hearing disability on behalf of the employer, or lack of the requisite skills.

Howard Rosenblum, a deaf attorney in Chicago, states that the issue is a complicated one.  “It depends on the job that the deaf or hard of hearing applicant is applying for,” he explains.  “If it is a state or federal job, it is often a good idea to disclose a disability because those employers often look for diversity.”

Howard urges more caution when applying for jobs in the private sector.  “All too often, private companies seem to have this fear of hiring people with disabilities.  Sometimes, when people with disabilities disclose their disabilities on a resume, they do not even get interviews at all.  When they take it off, they may get interviews, but many times they are not hired or called back for second interviews.”

For deaf or hard of hearing applicants who use interpreters, they face the difficult decision of whether or not to request accommodations for the interview process.  Requesting an interpreter for an interview puts the deaf or hard of hearing person at a disadvantage, because companies can balk at the idea of having to pay for an accommodation during the hiring process.  “I often tell deaf people who want jobs to bring their own interpreter during the hiring process,” says Howard.  “Even though the company is supposed to pay for interpreters by law, bringing your own increases the chances of being hired.”

Neil McDevitt, a deaf firefighter and Program Director at TDI, suggests putting the information about being deaf or hard of hearing in the cover letter.  “The cover letter gives you a chance to put your best foot forward, so to speak,” he explains.  “If you make it clear that the fact that you’re deaf or hard of hearing has no bearing on your ability to do the job, it will take the doubt out of the employer’s mind.  I’m also of the opinion that a place that makes a fuss about a person being deaf isn’t a place worth wasting your time at in the first place.”

I personally have done it both ways: cover letters that address being deaf and cover letters that only focus on my skills with no hint of being deaf.   I’ve put down relay numbers and I’ve also put down a friend’s number (they’d take a message and I would call back via relay, using my voice).  I know that there were probably some jobs where my resume never stood a chance due to disclosure but I’ll never know for sure.

In this day and age, here’s something else to consider– employers are increasingly using web searches to find out information about a potential hire.  Chances are, employers are going to quickly learn information disclosed on the internet, including any mention of a disability. 

The whole debate of whether or not to include a disability in the job seeking process is a moot point if we don’t have employers who are willing to consider the abilities, not the disabilities of potential hires.

Crystal Schwartz, Health Educator/Counselor

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Crystal Schwartz is an independent contractor with an interesting job.  She is a Health Educator and Counselor to clients with HIV or at-risk.   Crystal works with different hospitals and counsels deaf and hard of hearing patients about healthy living and sex education with HIV.  She hosts workshops on topics related to HIV and healthy living.

Crystal didn’t intend to get into counseling at first.  She attended Gallaudet University for three years and while in Chicago on an internship, she finished up her degree in Business Administratation at the Robert Morris College. 

“I first became involved as an educator/counselor by volunteering a lot with the HIV program and through networking,” said Crystal.

Crystal left full-time work and switched to the part-time counseling job to allow more flexibility and time with her children.  Crystal is a mom to three deaf children.  She has been a Health Educator and Counselor for seven years.

“I’m blessed to be able to help so many people,” she said.

Today, Crystal is back in school, aiming for her graduate degree in Management.  She’s also hard at work, writing her first book.

LaRonda Zupp–Client Support Specialist

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As a Client Support Specialist for DCARA, LaRonda provides a variety of services to deaf and hard of hearing senior citizens every day.  She meets with clients to provide peer counseling, advocacy, document translation and communication assistance.  She also coordinates interpreter services.  Her office is located at Fremont Oak Gardens, an apartment complex with 50 apartments.

In addition to meeting with several clients each day, LaRonda provides classes in exercise and nutrition twice a week.  “I coordinate Community Education two or three times a month,” said LaRonda.  “These classes include topics that cover deaf issues, health issues and senior issues.  I teach a lot of independent living skills to help seniors stay connected to their world and live independently.”

LaRonda holds a B.A. degree in Deaf Studies and an M.S. in Counseling.  In addition to her degrees, LaRonda holds certificates in Parent Education, Non-Profit Management and Adult Education.

“I have a lot of paper to hang on my wall of fame,” LaRonda chuckled.

Before coming to DCARA, LaRonda worked as a Parent Educator for deaf and hard of hearing parents for eight years.  She spent ten years as a School Counselor at the Washington School for the Deaf.  “I believe my jobs have chosen me,” LaRonda said. “I never went out looking for them.  Most often, they have fallen in my lap.  I have had a number of bosses come up to me and simply say ‘I want you to come work for me. Want a job?’  I lick my finger, hold it up to the wind and trust in the will of heaven.  I know that wherever I go, I’m supposed to be there.   The one thing I choose to do is remain serving the Deaf Community.”

LaRonda has a piece of advice that she’d like to share with those who are exploring their life path:

Listen with the ear of your heart. The path we choose is not always the path we think we want. Our paths often choose us. My advice is be true to what you know about yourself and follow your bliss. If you don’t know what your bliss is, take risks to find out. Live life outside of the box a bit and trust your journey will become you.

Don’t be afraid to dance, just get out there and boogie!  Take risks.  Try new things.  Don’t limit yourself.  Burst forth.  You will discover how beautiful you are and how enriching life can be when you just get out there and give it your best!”

For more on LaRonda, visit her blog:  The Ear of my Heart.

 

 

 

 

Julia Anderson, Medical Coder

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Ask Julia Anderson about her job and she’ll tell you she “loves it!” Julia is a Clinical Data Coordinator at Advocate Christ Medical Center/Hope Chidren’s Hospital in Oak Lawn, Illinois. She graduated from the National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID) in 1991 with a degree in Medical Records. She went on to obtain certification as a Registered Health Information Technician and Certified Coding Specialist.

She’s been coding for many years and still loves it.

Julia communicates in American Sign Language and utilizes interpreters for meetings. On the job, she had to come up with innovative ways to communicate with her co-workers. “I do not use the phone,” says Julia. “Email is my main source of communication. The associates in my hospital who I work with know that email is the best way to contact me.

“I use paper and pen to communicate with co-workers, Julia continues. “Sometimes I will use a computer or laptop as well. If co-workers have questions, they will sign, fingerspell or email me.”

Julia, along with another coordinator, supervises a staff of 24 medical coders and 4 unbilled staff. Julia’s path to becoming a coordinator was not an easy one. Back in 1999, while working as a coder, Julia applied to become a coordinator. She didn’t get the job and was quite disappointed. The job was given to Cathy Smyth, who happened to have a sister who was hard of hearing. As it turned out, Julia completed her internship years ago with Cathy’s sister at Advocate Christ Medical Center.

In the beginning, Cathy and Julia communicated via paper and pencil. Cathy learned to fingerspell and slowly picked up signs. Today, Cathy and Julia communicate fluently in American Sign Language. Several other co-workers are learning sign as well.

When the coordinator job opened up again four years ago, Cathy encouraged Julia to apply. This time, she obtained the job and continues to enjoy it today. “In my personal opinion,” Julia reflects back, “the director at that time did not think I was capable of doing the job due to the communication barrier.

“I ended up proving her wrong when I got the second chance at the coordinator position.”

Bob Harris–Business Owner

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Bob and his wife, EvieAlthough I’ve known about Harris Communications for years, and ordered several of their products, I met Bob Harris for the first time last year at the Deaf Expo in Chicago.
 
“How did you begin the company?” I asked Bob when I stopped by his booth.  Harris Communications has been around for a little over 25 years, but Bob was an accidental entrepreneur.  He actually holds a PhD. in Psychology and his venture into business began entirely as a fluke. 
 

While he was working as a psychologist, Bob began to learn about real estate and investing.  To communicate with a real estate partner, Bob looked into finding TTYs at a reduced cost.  This lead him into the world of distributorship, and Bob started the tiny business out of his home, beginning with TTYs and expanding into other products.  Harris Communications outgrew his home office and is now one of the leading companies for deaf and hard of hearing related products and services.  Bob no longer practices as a psychologist and devotes his time to expanding and growing his business.  Today, the company employs over 30 people and has an online store.

Bob encourages deaf and hard of hearing youth to pursue career exploration in high school and seek out deaf and hard of hearing adults in different jobs and professions.   “From my experiences in growing up, it helped trememdously whenever I met such an adult with a specific occupation,” said Bob.  “It planted a seed of thought in my mind and helped me figure what I wanted to do in my future work.  For example, I learned from people who worked as doctors, entrepreneurs, psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, engineers, attorneys, judges and teachers.”

Bob encourages parents to consider leadership and career exploration camps for deaf and hard of hearing children and to give their children books about successful deaf and hard of hearing adults in various careers.

 
To read more about Bob and Harris Communications: