As we are wrapping up 2022, as a Deaf parent myself, it appears things aligned. It’s as if life is working things out on its own with my inner manifestation. “What was your inner manifestation?” you may wonder. I wanted to create and be in an environment where Deaf people can thrive with hearing people. And, sure enough, here I am!
A little background in a nutshell (will try!): I was born Deaf but my parents didn’t know till I was 2. I didn’t learn ASL till I was about 8 years old. This was about the same time I started to bloom at the school for the Deaf and then graduated from a Deaf school. After graduating, I:
• Attended community college and got my A.A. (graduated with honours!)
• Got my B.A. at UBC (and graduated with an average of 69% which included the courses I failed)
• Completed my M.A. at Gallaudet University by defending my thesis called “What is Privacy in Deaf Space?”.
• Also, I got accepted into a Ph.D. program at the University of Manitoba (but I dropped out after a semester and a half).
Meanwhile, I was already working to pay off my 6-figure student loan racked up. I took up several jobs doing:
• Contract work teaching in universities
• Working full-time as a manager at a social services agency. This is where we had Deaf people at the leadership level including Deaf people on the front lines.
While working the full-time jobs I mentioned, I:
• started freelancing doing ASL translations
• co-founded 100 Decibels: A Deaf Mime Troupe
• was a landlord for a rental property (later sold).
With all this happening, I was able to pay off my student loans.
Then something amazing happened, got married and had kids. My spouse is hearing and our kids are… Deaf. Both have the same thing I have – bilateral sensorineural hearing loss. I had the opportunity to take parental leave for a year to bond with them while they were little. Then an opportunity came up. I took a job at a Deaf-owned and Deaf-led startup. Even more so, my spouse and I enrolled our oldest toddler at a school for the Deaf (where they hired a Deaf principal!)
So, this is where I am today – in an environment where it is Deaf-led and Deaf-owned. It’s very fascinating how this is coming to and I’m grateful for this journey I’m in. So, back to the question, What was my inner manifestation? The drive I had in me was to contribute what I have to offer by showing Deaf people have value in the world. Back then I did it for myself only. Now with a growing family (hearing spouse and Deaf toddlers), the things I do in life are myself AND my family. Most parents of Deaf children, I’m still learning and rolling in with the punches. The journey doesn’t stop here. We’re wrapping up 2022 and entering into the new year 2023. The best is yet to come!
What’s next for me here is to connect with parents of Deaf children. And share a bit about my journey and some things I’m learning as a Deaf dad to my Deaf kiddos and husband to my non-Deaf wife. Looking forward to connecting with new folks in the new year! See you all next year!