WEBVTT

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Hello! This is DeafDots, 
14 November 2025.

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Bringing alerts & news reports at
intervals for all Deaf Canadians.

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Don’t forget to subscribe, like, and follow
DeafDots to get new video updates!

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[DAWN]: On October 2, the British
Columbia Ministry of Children and Family

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Development sent a memo
to service providers stating that

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“All responses to the CFR have been
rejected and the CFR has been cancelled.”

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[DAWN]: What is the “CFR”?
Last May they posted a “Call for Responses”,

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CFR to announce they were accepting
submissions for "Deaf, Hard of Hearing,

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and DeafBlind Early Language
Access Services". They wanted to hear

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from interested Service
Providers.would be to coordinate bilingual

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service delivery to promote
early language acquisition,

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in collaboration with families
and their community and

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create a strong foundation
for early childhood development.

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It would be across British
Columbia for three years.

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When the BC government needs to
buy products or services, they post

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"Call for Responses" (CFR) to
accept bids from any organizations or

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businesses who are interested
in providing the Early Language Access

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Services across BC and
who would be interested

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in submitting bids and giving
answers to their requirements.

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[DAWN]: MCFD explains that
they have an existing agreement

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with B.C. Family Hearing Resource
Society to provide specialized

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early intervention services for Children
who are Deaf and hard of hearing.

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This contract expires in 2025.
Deaf Children's Society of BC applied

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for this opportunity to provide
accessible early language development

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for Deaf, DeafBlind and hard
of hearing children in BC.

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On October 7th, Teresa Fleming,
executive director of Deaf Children’s

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Society of BC sent an email expressing
her disappointment that

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the BC government
decided to cancel the CFR.

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Last week we found out... 
no reason was given.

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BCBid recently posted this showing
"Cancelled", that's the proof. How come?

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[DAWN]: On October 8, the BC
government sent a letter to child service

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providers stating that there is
no reduction in early language services

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as they had extended the current
service agreement with BC Family Hearing

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Resource Society until March 31, 2027. 
They also said that there are

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"varied perspectives on how best
to provide early language services".

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Any person when they are born
grow up, they require language stimulation,

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language exposure. When we think
about what language deprivation is,

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it means that there is no exposure
to language. If you think when

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a hearing baby is born and
you speak to it, you expose language and

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give it an auditory ability that
becomes a part of its character,

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its developing esteem, self-esteem
and having a strong sense of self

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so that they can move forward
with these tools throughout their life.

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If you imagine when a deaf child is
born and you know sometimes there's

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uncertainty about what to do and
how to parent that child, speech therapy,

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listening, hearing aids, all these
different ways of communicating,

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there's not been one clear exposure
of language. to develop that same

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sense of. This child grows up feeling
uncertain, maybe of who they are

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or their identity might be, and
you know they end up feeling like

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they just don't know where they
fit or what they should be doing.

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Their quality of life might be
a little bit stunted as they're

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not sure how to make their way
with all of these different messages

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as they grow up through their life. 
So, language getting exposure to

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language and then
not having it really causes harm.

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[DAWN]: Deaf community advocates
say this takes away the opportunity

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to implement a long awaited landmark
opportunity to build a sustainable model

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for early language access — ensuring that
Deaf, Deaf-Blind and Hard of Hearing

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children acquire language from birth,
preventing the well-documented effects

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of language deprivation syndrome. 
They see it as a setback, and that

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no child should be denied
the opportunity to develop

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a first language — whether through
ASL or spoken language —

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during the most critical
years of brain development.

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We are asking for a 30-minute sit-down
to really understand the rationale

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behind cancelling the CFR, and we want
quick action. The language assessments

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that were in the CFR were really
groundbreaking to support the language

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acquisition and early language
development of deaf children,

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and we want to preserve that.

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[DAWN]: A group of educators, advocates and
Deaf community leaders have come together

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a website "MCFD Reinstate CFR#206764"
with videos, a link to the online petition,

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and a letter generator to contact
members of the BC government.

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It's important to reverse the decision and
reinstate the CFR, early language,

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and access to intervention services.
That CFR was supportive of children

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who were Deaf, hard of hearing, or
DeafBlind, who struggled with language

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deprivation and would provide
a real framework for reducing that.

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It is so important that the next
step is to consult deaf-led,

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community-based organizations and
individuals so that the CFR process

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can be reinstated so
that the experience and

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lives of these deaf
children are supported.

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[DAWN]: DeafDots contacted several
people in the BC Ministry of Children and

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Family Development and heard
only from their Director of Communications

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who says while she understands
the need for ASL video, "unfortunately

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we just don't have the resources
to accommodate that at this time."

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A written statement
she provided had the sentence

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"Providing the best services possible
for Deaf and hard of hearing children,

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youth and their families
is a top priority."

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[DAWN]: That paragraph admits they need
to do more work to better understand

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the issues involved. It is disappointing
that the Ministry cancelled

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the CFR without giving reasons
or engaging Deaf stakeholders

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in a hot button topic related
to language deprivation.

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Bonnie Russell, a Deaf psychotherapist
in British Columbia has released

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a Deaf book, a memoir of her growing up
in a second-generation Deaf family,

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her identity and language deprivation and
celebrating the healing power of ASL,

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Deaf culture, and community. I asked her what
led her to write the book “May I Love Deaf”?

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I felt that the universe gave me
the opportunity to look at people in my life

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and the Deaf experience along
with a lot of oppression in my journey like

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many of you have experienced. The feeling
of being oppressed and my Deaf identity.

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In my life, I grew up with Deaf parents
who were late in language acquisition

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and my twin and I were separated based
on her who could hear a little more.

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As I grew up and progressed
in the mental health field,

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I saw clients go by all my life.
I could see their Deaf experiences

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so I am sharing my story
to support parents today...

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hearing parents of Deaf children
who need support resources and

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language in their lives.
That's why I wrote my book.

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[DAWN]: As a psychotherapist,
do you have a specialty or focus,

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and are you in private practice
or associated with an agency?

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I am a mental health therapist contracted
with one agency here in BC.

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I have a strong focus on two
areas among others most used:

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CBT Mind Behavior therapy ABC
happening situations thinking and

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behavior outcomes. What the different
outcomes are and going back

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to the situation. ABC - change, thinking, 
behavior and for desired outcomes.

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Also, Carl Jung the Shawdo work and
relating to our ego, triggers and

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trauma and understanding our triggers
and replacing them to be healthy.

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Does your background as a psychotherapist
qualify you to write this book?

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Where I stand surrounded by everyone,
the paths, family, work, my psychotherapy,

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the Deaf community and my parents and
Deaf children, these work with my close friends

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and interacting my whole life, all your
stories along with and my own became

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this Deaf Experience, observations and
my Identity,.. needing captions and

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needed support resources. I hope the book
becomes a means of elevating Deaf people

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and improves their
lives for the better.

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Tell us a bit about yourself - your upbringing as
a Deaf person, education and work?

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I grew up in Ontario, Canada and attended
the school of the deaf in Milton.

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Then I went to Gallaudet where I got
my bachelor's and master's degrees

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in mental health counseling. 
I worked in numerous jobs...

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dorm supervisor, program director
for families of Deaf children,

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communications program, community
liaison then mental health therapist

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for a mental health service. 
This work I brought to BC.

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Thanks Bonnie. The book is now
available on both Amazon sites

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in Canada and USA.
In search type “May I Love Deaf”.

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[DAWN]: In September 2025 Fowad
Nisar announced he is now officially

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a licensed Mortgage Agent in Ontario. 
DeafDots asked Robyn Mackie,

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our DeafDots reporter, to tell us more.

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Fowad Nisar in Hamilton, Ontario is Deaf
and attended Ernest C. Drury School

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for the Deaf in Milton until he was 10 years old
and then attended a mainstream school.

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I am an Ontario-licensed mortgage agent
with Dominion Lending Centres – YBM Group.

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[ROBYN]: What were your
interests while growing up?

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I grew up in Barrie, Ontario, and studied
Graphic Design at Georgian College.

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Growing up, I loved basketball, art, and
being part of the Deaf community —

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I also communicate fluently in ASL.

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[ROBYN]: What led you
to become a mortgage agent?

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Before I became a mortgage agent, 
I worked in graphic design,

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but I wanted to do something
more meaningful —

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helping people buy their first home
and achieve financial freedom.

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What kind of services do you provide?

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Now, I help clients across Ontario
with first-time home buying,

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renewals, refinances, and
many more mortgage services.

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[ROBYN]: As a mortgage agent, do you
have advice for Deaf people wanting

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to borrow money
for real estate property?

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For Deaf clients, my advice is simple —
don’t be afraid to start.

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I’ll guide you clearly and
in your language, every step of the way.

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[DAWN]: Our DeafDots reporter Robyn
Mackie is a Canadian but recently

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she moved to the U.S.
for a great job opportunity.

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DeafDots decided to find out more about
her upbringing and her latest life experience!

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I was born and raised in Canada.
I grew up in Alberta, Calgary and moved

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to Ottawa, Ontario. Then I moved to Halifax, 
Nova Scotia and now I am in the U.S.

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[DAWN]: Which school
in Canada did you go to?

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During my schooling, I went to Queen
Elizabeth, a day program elementary

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through high school. Then to
University of Calgary where

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I graduated with a degree
in Cultural Anthropology.

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[DAWN]: Do you or your family have
any connection to the U.S.?

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Do I have family here in the U.S.? None.

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What were your professional interests -
education or training - and work in Canada?

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In my profession I became involved
in education... teaching,

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working with children and adults, 
I taught ASL for many years,

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was a literacy teacher, ASL specialist, 
ASL consultant - all in education.

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[DAWN]: What led you
to get work in the U.S.?

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Really I got a job offer as a preschool
teacher in Massachusetts in 2023

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but had issues with my visa. I contacted
Gallaudet University Human Resources

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to inquire where my job experiences fit. 
I completed many forms and

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a job opportunity was offered.
I accepted and moved last January.

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[DAWN]: What kind of job position and
where are you working now in the U.S.?

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IEP - Individualized Education
Program Coordinator at MSSD -

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Model Secondary School for the
Deaf on the Gallaudet campus.

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[DAWN]: What a great opportunity!

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How does American life as a Deaf
person differ from Canadian life?

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How US life and Canada life fares... 
is not really very different.

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But here in Washington, DC I notice
people are aware of Deaf people due

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to the presence of Gallaudet
University. One I notice...

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open captioned films are available; access
and interpreters are similar to Canada's.

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VRS is available, Canada has caught up.

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Except for the availability of open-captioned
films. Life here is good!

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Thanks, Robyn. The U.S. and Canada
are both part of North America.

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As neighboring countries, there is a lot
of influence between both countries.

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I’m glad Canada is catching up,
maybe one day we will be ahead!

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