By Meghan McCormick
Transcript Staff Writer
Staff and students at Moore Norman Technology Center took time out of their schedules Monday morning to recognize National Deaf and Hard of Hearing Week.
During a one-hour program in the school’s seminar center, children and adults watched a demonstration of a “hearing dog” and through a sign language interpreter, listened to Susan Nelson speak about her role with Sorenson Communications.
Nelson is manager of the Oklahoma City Sorenson Call Center. The communications group has 65 call centers throughout the United States and is able to communicate with the hearing impaired through video phones.
Nelson said understanding sign language from each caller can be a challenge because each state and country can have different signs. The woman has been deaf since childhood and only learned sign language when she entered college.
Anna Trowbridge, MNTC media relations and marketing planner, said any student with a hearing impairment can request an interpreter to help them daily in class. At least eight interpreters are employed by the school.
“We have the only career-based hard-of-hearing program,” Trowbridge said.
She said the educational program for the deaf and hard of hearing originated in 1976. Since its inception 31 years ago, Moore Norman Technology Center has worked to help people with hearing impairments operate in a hearing world.
Trowbridge said 14 students are enrolled in the specially designed course. More than 80 percent of those who graduate from the program find employment.
DeAnn Martin is a specialist on deafness at MNTC. She coordinates all sign language interpreters at the school.
“We work to make sure there is accessibility in any area,” Martin said.
She said the school prepares deaf and hard of hearing students for the work field.
MNTC student Jocelyn Epple is also the president of the leadership club for the deaf. At birth, Epple suffered a case of German measles that left her permanently deaf.
Through an interpreter, Epple said that in February, she enrolled in a GED course and soon decided to study carpentry.
“Having an interpreter here has been helpful,” Epple said.
She explained deaf people can miss out in class because of their disability, but since an interpreter can relay what the instructor is telling the rest of the class, Epple is able to keep up. Epple said she also likes the small classroom atmosphere.
Meghan McCormick
366-3539
mmccormick@normantranscript.com
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MNTC celebrates deaf and hard of hearing week
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