Thank you for participating our Q & A, please give us a brief description of your background.
I was born in the east of Louisiana. I then moved here in Houston when I was 2 years old. I grew up here in Houston. I went to Montessori school, and then I went to Texas School for the Deaf (TSD) in 1967. At the age of 16, I’ve decided to leave TSD and moved to California. While I was there, I worked for a print company for about 10 years where I used to be in union in CA. Later, the earthquake had occurred twice sometime during the1990s. It all happened somewhere between Oakland & SF. I then decided to move back to Houston in 1994 and settled here in Houston ever since. I truly love living here.

Were you born deaf or hearing? What was the cause?
I was born deaf, but never knew what the cause of it.

What do you currently do for living?
Currently, I am working for a newspaper company as a pressman for 13 years.

Any of your family deaf? How did your parents approach when they found out about your deafness?
My parents are hearing. Out of 8 siblings, I have 3 that are deaf. I’m the 4th child in the family. My parents communicated with us through gestures, home signs and writing. My mom passed away in California just before the earthquake occurred, and my dad is still alive. I have a daughter, and she’s hearing. We communicate through ASL.

Tell us your experience when you saved a woman from a fire.
This lady was from New Orleans. She knocked on my door and asked for some money. I didn’t know who she was, so I declined to give money and told her to go find a job. Later on, at 5:30 in the morning, something bothered me. I went to the bathroom and saw my truck parked where the fire was. I moved my truck, and my truck was fine. About 15 minutes later, I saw this lady, and she was on balcony on the 2nd floor. She was stuck, and there was no escape. I moved my car closer to where she was and tried to get her to jump over the balcony. Of course, it was very HOT. Then, the lady finally jumped on my car, and she was fine. She was grateful for my help.

What are your common challenges you face with hearing community?
I didn’t face much of challenges. I always work hard, and I don’t pay attention to negativity or any problems. I try to avoid problems and focus on the job at hands. That works best for me, no discriminations or oppressions. If there are any problems, I do my best to avoid them.

Any advice to deaf/hoh community?
If you see anybody that needs help, please help them. Your reward will be greater. Deaf CAN do anything. Also, just be sure to protect yourself. I didn’t have any fire alarms/lights at my old apt in Pasadena. After the incident I went through, I moved to Houston, and I now have alarms/lights for fire, etc.

Thank you, Darrel for taking the time to share your experience with us. We are certainly grateful to have you helping others. We definitely need more people like you to spread such positive attitude and support one another.

Related posts:

1. Rita Lee Wedgeworth
2. My child is deaf…What do I do?

Thank you for agreeing to do this interview out of your busy schedule. Give us a brief description of your background.
I was born and raised here in Houston until around 4th grade then moved to Baytown. I attended and graduated from Southwest Texas State University (now Texas State University) in San Marcos. My degree has absolutely nothing to do with interpreting or Deafness, but I’ve always been told what’s important is that I have a degree….smile. I’ve lived and worked in San Marcos, Austin and Dallas, but have always ended up back in my hometown, the big H-town!

What or how did you decide to become an interpreter?
My mother was also an interpreter so I guess I just followed in her footsteps. I worked in my field of study, Interior Design, for a very short time and knew that wasn’t the career for me. My grandparents were Deaf, (mother’s parents) and I remember the exact moment I knew that interpreting was the career for me. My grandmother had heart surgery and sadly, didn’t come out of it alive. I knew at that time that I did have a skill, because of my grandparents, which I needed to use. For me, what I do for a living is like a tribute to them.

How long have you been interpreting, where did you learn, and what level/certifications do you have?
As I stated before, my grandparents were Deaf and growing up, we lived right across the street from them. My parents both worked so my brothers and I would stay with my grandmother before we started school. I don’t really remember learning sign language. And honestly, I don’t know how long I’ve been interpreting! I can remember interpreting for my grandmother and her neighbor over the fence in the backyard when I was about 5. The first time I interpreted for an “audience” was in church when I was 12 years old. My mother would interpret the sermon and I would interpret the songs. Those poor Deaf folks! Haha I first received my Board for Evaluation of Interpreters (BEI) Level I certification when I was 18. Currently, I’m a BEI Level IV and am Texas Court Certified. I’m still trying to get my nerves up to take the new Texas certification test….haha. And I’m also preparing to take the National Interpreter Certification (NIC) test.

Have you ever experience the life of “Deaf Culture”? If so, how would you describe your initial experience?
Yes, I have been very blessed to have experienced lots of “Deaf Culture” through my grandparents. I love the Deaf community and feel very much at home with them. Growing up at First Baptist Church when they were still downtown and then over on 610 and I-10 (before it was Woodhaven) and at Houston Association of the Deaf (HAD) in the old building on Boundary St., was such a rich experience for me! I’m not a Children of Deaf Adult (CODA), nor do I believe ASL is my first language, but I know I have unique experiences that many interpreters don’t have. One funny story I have is that growing up, many of my friends would say how weird it was to have Deaf grandparents. I did also have a hearing grandmother on my father’s side but I thought it was “normal” to have one Deaf grandma/grandpa and one hearing one. I thought it was my friends who were the weird ones, not having a Deaf grandmother, not me!

Do you think interpreters should learn “Deaf Culture”, if so why or what would they miss if they don’t learn it?
I definitely think ALL interpreters should learn “Deaf Culture.” As all Interpreter Training Program (ITP) students have heard in their programs, the best way to learn ASL and the Deaf community is to become immersed in it. Students are so fortunate to have the Deaf socials at their disposal nowadays. You can only learn so much out of a book or a class. What better way to learn and become a part of the community than from those who are in the community??

When interpreting for someone, what challenges do you often face?
I think the biggest challenge I face personally, is interpreting for individuals who are from different areas of the country and the differences that there may be in our signs. Interpreters who work in Video Relay settings, experience this more often than out in the local community. The challenge is then compounded when you have a consumer who doesn’t have much patience when asking for clarification. Of course, this is pretty rare but it does happen. This also happened quite a bit after Hurricane Katrina and we had so many Deaf evacuees from Louisiana who have a different “dialect” of signing than we have.

In your work experience, what or any particular areas would you like to see improved on?
The ever-continuing issue of public entities not providing interpreters is an issue I wish we never had to face again! I have to admit it’s getting a bit better but come on! The Americans with Disabilities Act, (a Federal Law!!), was passed 19 years ago!! Can we all get on the same page people??? Okay, enough said…..

Have you ever interpreted for someone who doesn’t understand language very well? If so, how did you overcome the situation?
Yes, I have had several experiences where the consumer didn’t understand language very well. Luckily, we have CDI’s, Certified Deaf Interpreters. I know there are interpreters out there who are opposed to using CDI’s because they think it is a reflection of their interpreting skills. Almost like, if they use a CDI, it’s saying their skills are not good enough to facilitate communication. I’m not too proud or embarrassed to say that I love assignments where I can use a CDI. I am assured that my Deaf client is getting, not only my services but services from a person who is proficient in the language, culture and linguistics of their own community and personal experiences.

You’ve mentioned CDI, do you support CDI?
I love working with CDI’s! My hope is that in the very near future we can educate the community that CDI’s are such a necessity in so many situations that they will be more willing to pay for hearing and deaf interpreter teams. Currently, we mostly use CDI’s in legal settings however, there are not near enough Court Certified CDI’s in our area. (hint, hint)

I recently learned that you’re the Vice President for CAAG, President of State Interpreting Organization (Texas Society of Interpreters for the Deaf) and involved with Shared Reading Program, how do you balance being a mom, life, and work?
I have the luxury of having the BEST business partners a person could ask for!! And of course, the best husband and family! At work, my partners/co-workers are the best and most supportive individuals, that I can, at times, get some Texas Society of Interpreters for the Deaf (TSID) business taken care of during working hours. Unfortunately, we don’t have our Shared Reading Program up and running yet, but hoping to have a pilot project ready for the spring. At home, my husband and daughters know how incredibly important my business, the Deaf community and my leadership role in our state organization are to me. My husband doesn’t know much sign language yet (we’re working on that!) but he really does “get it” that my work is such an integral part of who I am because of my family, he’s so very supportive of what I do. I couldn’t have asked for more! As for TSID, our Board is so incredibly competent that it makes my job almost effortless.

What do you envision for the deaf or interpreter community in Houston?
I love seeing the two communities work and socialize together. Ultimately, we all have the same goal as our end result. A better communication experience for all involved out in the community, which includes the hearing person, Deaf person and Interpreter. Interpreters improve their skills by being around Deaf people, socially or professionally, and Deaf people feel a more trusting bond with Interpreters when that connection is there. On a state level, TSID and Texas Association of the Deaf (TAD) are communicating about whether our two organizations can co-convene our conferences. This has been really exciting and whether it happens or not, I feel that it’s definitely a step in the right direction for both of our groups. This could so happen on a local level as well.

Has the interpreting industry experienced shortage in qualified interpreters for field work now with the immersion of the Video Relay Service (VRS) industry which has been providing opportunities for qualified interpreters?
VRS work is a funny thing. Every community that has a VRS call center experiences a lot of shortage of community interpreters at the beginning. Especially when there is more than one VRS provider in the same city. However, once the interpreters begin working in the call centers, after a while they tend to get their fill of VRS work, start to feel somewhat burned out and get back to doing more community work. Additionally, I’ve noticed the areas that have one or more call centers tend to attract more out of town interpreters who are looking for work and are willing to move. So then what happens is we are able to “refill” our interpreter pools and have the opposite of what we experienced at the opening of VRS call centers. Kinda weird, huh??

Any advice for deaf and/or interpreters?
I think that with such great advances in technology these days, there are so many opportunities for the Deaf and Interpreting communities to “take advantage of each other.” I know that expression sounds so negative but what I mean is that we need to embrace each other because each group has such a wealth of information that we can learn from each other! Back when my grandparents were young, there was no such thing as a Video Phone (VP), TV captioning, internet, two-way communication devices, VRI, VRS, etc….. We are so fortunate to have what we have now! Let’s use them all in ways that will nurture and benefit both communities. For ITP Students, trudge on! It gets better, I promise! It’s so exciting to see all the new generations of interpreters coming out of the colleges! Deaf community, have patience with newbie interpreters, they’re a bit intimidated around you! CODA’s, PLEASE consider an interpreting career! You have innate abilities and so much to offer both communities! All be good to each other! Peace out!

PS. Much, much thanks to the Deaf Community because without you, I wouldn’t be who I am today!!

Thank you, Rita, for taking the time to answer the questions for us. We are certainly pleased to know you are here to support deaf community. We definitely couldn’t have done it without your help. For more information about Rita Lee, feel free to use our comment section or visit her business website at CAAG.

Related posts:

1. UPDATE – Interpreter Job Fair & Panel of Professionals
2. Part-Time Interpreter & CART @ Lone Star College
3. Sign Language Interpreters Vacancies

Bradley Porche is a deaf activitist who not only strive to improve quality of life, but ensure that fundamental needs are met regardless of our background in Houston and across the United States. In addition, the combination of words and actions that Bradley abide by are something that we all can learn from.

Thank you for participating our Q & A, give us a brief description of your background
First, I want to say thank you for choosing me as the person in the spotlight and for your hard work in setting up this Houston Deaf Network website.

I am easy to get along with and a great conversationalist. A co-worker once said that I was the jack-of-all-trades, although, I am always looking for new things and to learn new things. I am a proud dad of a 5 month old son, Trevor and a husband to my wife, Tyler. They both are the most important thing in my life. I love technology, politics, and best of all, reading books.

What is your status – Deaf or hearing? If deaf, what was the cause?
I consider myself Deaf with a profound hearing loss. However, I was born hearing at first then my hearing became progressively worse at a later age. I was fortunate to be able to acquire speech at an early age. I did not become involved with the deaf community until I attended Louisiana State University where I first met Sarah Tullier. Sarah introduced me to the deaf world and I met many deaf people who later became friends. From there, I learned to embrace my deafness with pride. People ask me of my preference of being deaf or hearing. I always say deaf. That answer always baffles them because they never have experienced being deaf. It takes one to know one. You should see their face when I say that.

What do you do for living?
I am a Deaf Education Teacher at Clear Springs HS and a professor at Houston Community College. Often times I would take some of my free time writing articles for Houston Deaf Network. I also own a blog site called porchedaily.com. I have a B.S. in Finance and Economics and M.S. in Deaf Education. I used to work for the former Vice President of the United States, Al Gore on the Climate Project. Lastly, I also provide my time with a goal to establish a deaf resource center with Billy Koch, who is a great guy to work with. I plan on adding more degree to my list of accomplishments but what degree? Maybe somewhere along the line of Political Science or Computer Science.-

How did your parents approach when they found out about your deafness?
At first, they were not sure of what was going on and they sought help but they wanted the right kind of help. What I mean by that is, there are two types of help you can find. The one who says they know how to help you but never experienced being deaf and the ones whom are deaf and know how to provide the answers. My parents made the right choice in the type of assistance they sought. Like any parents, they were confused and frustrated due to the fact that I became deaf and knew that deafness as a disability was what I had to face. The best thing they ever did was finding someone who understood deafness and how to communicate through the use of sign language. It was the most important thing for us to have the ability to communicate through sign language. When I look back, I am glad they did not try to fix the problem instead they allowed me to function like anyone else with the exception that I cannot hear. The type of attitude and view my parents had toward deafness was a positive one.

What was your experience like during your childhood?
I grew up in a middle class household and I was always involved in sports. My parents pretty much taught me everything that I needed to know in order to function in the real world. They made sure that I took special interest in anything that I was fascinated with. I had many friends both hearing and deaf due to the fact that I was comfortable with my deafness and I understood at a early age that there were people who did not understand deafness. I did not resent the fact that they did not know how to communicate and the only way for them to understand was for me to show them what deafness is all about. In the process, my friends became more aware of the issues that I faced. I dated many hearing girls and it was not until later when I arrived at LSU that I started dating a deaf girl. It was when I knew that dating a deaf girl for me was a lot better because the communication and understanding was there. The result was, I married one.

I noticed that you were a spokeperson for Al Gore’s Environmental, how long have you worked for him and how did you end up that job?
I have worked for Al Gore’s organization, The Climate Project, for almost 2 1/2 years now. I was fortunate to be able to work for him and to see him teaching the ways of how to be an effective speaker. Al Gore has never once looked down at me because of my deafness. He treated me like anyone else and knew I could do the job, after all, I was selected by him. For that, I have learned valuable lessons in becoming an effective presenter and learning how things works in the political world. It was not an easy job because with Global Warming, there is always skeptics and I had to deal with those people. In the process, I have learned valuable lesson in the art of communication.

How did I end up working for him? I remember watching this movie called An Inconvenient Truth and near at the end it said that if you want to help, join the Climate Project. I went online and gave my information, wrote an essay of why I would be a great presenter, and gave my background experience. It was not until I found out 4 months later that I got selected by Gore. There was a rumor that over 400,000 people submitted and I was one of the 2,000 people from around the world. Not bad eh? From there on, I took the pride in working for Gore.

What was the common stereotypes you’ve encountered?
Oh, I have had plenty of stereotypes from people who did not understand deafness. For example, there were people thought I was hearing and continue to do so even after I told them I am deaf! Then they say, but you speak well!

I have had people come up to me and say, “Oh you are deaf? Oh I am sorry.” Sorry for what?

The most common is in the job interview and they always say, “How do you get in touch with someone, answer the phone, and can you read lips?” I am thinking, “This dude is a corporate manager and he has no clue of the technologies we use? How did this inept person get hired in the first place?”

What are your common challenges you face with hearing community?
The biggest challenge is trying to accommodate to the hearing community because they expect me to function on their level. Many times the hearing community assumes that I cannot do the job and I often prove them wrong. My time is wasted trying to prove them wrong when I could be doing something beneficial for everyone. I just have to work four times harder than them just to be able to prove that a deaf person like myself can do it. It becomes frustrating because every time I start on something new or wanting to do something new, the hearing peers always questions my ability. I often make my hearing peers accommodate me by making them learn sign language so it would be a fair game.

I know you’re pretty active in politics, what made you get into political aspects?
I remember watching this movie, ‘Mr. Smith goes to Washington’ and it was such an inspirational movie. The movie demonstrated how one man changed the minds of many Congressmen and how he served the people, not the special interest of the lobbyist. I have always wanted to be Mr. Smith because it is in my heart and desire to serve ‘For the People, By the People’. Later on, my will became stronger when I read this great book, 1776 by David McCullough

Think you’ll run for the office one day? If so, what or how would you make a difference to the society?
I plan on running for office one day but the question is, what type of office? You see, it requires a lot of determination to get to know people and to understand what people want. I take it one day at a time and to make myself known to the public. The key is the voters, not the corporate donors, that chooses me. I think that politics has lost it’s way of having a true form of serving ‘for the people, by the people’. Right now, it is all about special interest and whomever’ got the most money that a person can buy. I call it bribery but Congress calls it contributors. The voice of the American people is being drown out when a Congressperson put religion, ideals, and morals first before everything else. A true politician should know that it is the will of the people, whatever the voice that may be, should be represented as a voice for all.

It is no longer about the Democrats or Republicans, it is about the ideals and values of the people that matters most. In a nutshell, it is more like Congress being the Corporate of America. I intend to clean it up.

Any advice to deaf/hoh community?
My advice is not to follow but to lead. Do not sit around and wait for things to happen, you have to make things happen. Once you do, things will become harder because you take on bigger challenge, therefore, the greater the reward. If you give up, not only you give up on yourself but you give up on everyone around you. Life is unpredictable and make the best of it.

Thank you, Bradley, for taking the time to answer the questions for us. Houstonains are surely fortunate to have you in our community. For more information about Bradley, feel free to use our comment section or contact him directly.

Related posts:

1. Darrel McCoulough
2. My child is deaf…What do I do?
3. Rita Lee Wedgeworth

Her role is to manage and map the path to success through education, training, and employment. She manages several programs run by Deaf professionals or professionals skilled in communicating with and for the Deaf. She’s well known among Houston and constantly makes an effort to reach out and help people identify and overcome barriers to employment. With further details, we’ve asked several questions to learn more about where, why, and how she became who she is.

Tell us your background.
I am truly honored to be asked to be in spotlight column by Mr. Long Duong. He had done a fantastic job putting together this website to bring the news to Houston deaf community.

I have been deaf since infant years. I was mainstreamed all through high school and used Signed English till college where I was exposed to deaf world and was introduced to American Sign Language. In college, I was in awe of meeting deaf and hard of hearing students from all over the state, other states, and overseas. I met my husband, Zac on our first day of student orientation and was immersed in deaf world shortly afterwards. My hobbies are reading, politics, and research. I enjoy mingling with people, and am always fascinated by their culture, histories, etc.

What’s the most important thing you’ve learned when dealing with everyday situation life?
I have to constant remind myself that Rome wasn’t built in one day, and for me to take things one at a time to get things done. I learned how to prioritize the tasks to help me to deal with day to day basis.

Any obstacles you’ve encountered that you’ve yet to achieve?
I am truly proud of people who dedicated their time to formulate a deaf taskforce for emergency response in the deaf community after running through so many difficult obstacles last few years in serving the deaf community in wake of hurricanes. There are so many exciting organizations are setting up as well, such as Houston Deaf Network, Deaf Awareness Week, and much more. I am truly honored to witness such an exciting transformation which will have a positive impact on our community.

What are your goals for the next 5 years?
I will continue to contribute my support to make Houston one of the most accessible cities in America for deaf, hard of hearing and deaf blind. There is a group of people who have the common goal to set up a centralized service for Deaf in Houston. My passion is to assist them and hopefully to see a deaf center established within 5 years. My personal goal is to be a housewife and a mother to our fur-kids and hopefully be a mother to Reagan children.

Any common stereotypes you’ve encountered?
The most common stereotypes of deaf are that all deaf can read lips. I get this question all the time, “Can you read lips?” I am nowhere near being proficient lip reader and it can be frustrating at times when people expect me to understand everything what they are saying. It is largely misunderstood of the perceptive of deaf people.

What are your challenges with the hearing community?
Lack of knowledge of deaf culture is probably one of the biggest challenges I have with the hearing community. Another big challenge is the cultural differences. Hearing people think and react differently. They might not understand why a deaf person reacts the way they do, and it contributes to lack of knowledge of deaf culture.

What was your experience like during your childhood, Where you allowed to play with others, deaf or hearing?
I was raised in a small town where everyone knew everyone. I grew up with my deaf and hearing classmates all through high school. I did not experience my first case of discrimination until I was in my teens looking for employment. That was my defining moment and I found my calling: I became a lifelong advocate.

How do you communicate with people who do not know any sign language?
That’s the beauty of technology that enables deaf and hard of hearing to interact with hearing counterparts without having to rely on interpreter 24.7 such as emails, instant messaging, video relay services, text messaging, and much more. My preferred communication mode is email. As for communicating with the public, I have a notepad that I carry in my purse for the written communication purpose.

Do you think that Deaf culture promotes isolation and anti-thinking of the hearing world?
No. We are fortunate to live in a society that embraces diversity in therefore, helping Deaf culture to promote the understanding of the American Sign Language. High schools and colleges across the country now offer American Sign Language, Deaf Culture, Deaf History, etc, it is one of the most vital example of the interaction between deaf and hearing.

Do you think that the anti-thinking Deaf people outnumbers the accepting Deaf people in the community?
Here in Houston, we have most diverse population of deaf, deaf/blind and hard of hearing from all degree of hearing loss. I would like to think that we are embracing the freedom of deaf, deaf/blind, and hard of hearing to make their own choices. We have deaf people who wear cochlear implants, cued speech, oral, tactile signs and American Sign Language. It is the culture that brings us together.

Any advice to deaf/hoh community?
“Be who you want to be; never allow others to define who you are.”

Thank you Kelly for taking the time to answer our questions. It was a delightful to have you as a spotlight for the month. For those of you who has any questions or concerns for Kelly, feel free to use comments or contact CRR for more information.

Related posts:

1. ASLive Job Opportunity
2. Introducing Bradley Porche
3. Darrel McCoulough