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We're nearing the White House. What a good experience. I'm excited!
Hello. I'm excited to be here with you today. I'm thrilled to interview you, and I'll go ahead and ask some questions.
Could you tell us about your upbringing and how it led to your success today?
Sure. I'm happy to talk about my upbringing.
I was born and raised in Jamaica. It's a beautiful island, by the way.
I was born hearing, and I had a normal childhood. Of course, Jamaica...
The economy was tough. Many people struggled financially.
My family was poor, but I still had a great childhood.
I became deaf at age eight. That was a real life-changing experience for me.
Especially in a country where there were no civil rights laws or protections
for people of different disabilities. So...
It was a personally and socially impactful experience for me
and my family as well.
I struggled with society's perceptions as a deaf person
and they didn't understand how to deal with my new identity as a person who was deaf
and they weren't sure how to approach my education.
Therefore I couldn't return to school. Now, I became deaf over the summer, in August.
In September, when it was time to go back to school, my family and my school
decided they couldn't send me back to school because
I was deaf and that meant they couldn't accommodate my needs. And I lived in the country,
where there weren't many-- none-- schools for the deaf near where I lived.
It was common there, if a person was deaf and lived in the country
the only way for that person to go to school was if he or she had a relative that lived
near town, near one of the few deaf schools. Then they could live there, with
friends or relatives. So I was taken out of school for almost two years.
I could tell you more about those experiences, but they gave me a sense of resilience,
the ability to find hope when there was no reason to have hope,
and to have the blind faith that someone, somehow there would be a brighter future.
The story gets longer. This was when I was eight. And when I was eleven,
my mother, who by the time was living in New York, she was able to get me
to immigrate, to join her in New York City, in the Bronx.
And that was the first time I saw a doctor, who tried to figure out the cause of my deafness at eight.
And he couldn't identify the reason because so much time had passed that we couldn't go back and figure out what happened.
So we moved on. And I am who I am now.
I had a new identity as a deaf person, and I was going to a deaf school for the first time.
I was meeting and socializing with other deaf students in spite of the fact that I couldn't sign. That was a bit odd.
At last, I was meeting other deaf people like me. But I couldn't communicate with them!
So that forced me to pick up sign language pretty quickly. So I could fit in at Lexington School for the Deaf.
Lexington gave me a new perspective on my own identity as a deaf person because
it allowed me to see that being deaf wasn't
a barrier towards having a brighter future, that it was actually another way of experiencing life: a visual approach to life
which entailed visual language, visual learning. We had culture.
I began to embrace my new identity.
Lexington School for the Deaf gave me the ability to find my identity through sports,
through student organizations and community engagement.
I discovered things that I never thought would be possible.
And that's where my transition to a positive self-esteem happened.
And I became an advocate because my experience showed me that many people
became... submissive to society's perspectives of themselves.
But we are all offered god-given potential.
We just need reinforcement and tools to build our potential.
My story is very common. But I was lucky to be able to overcome and prosper
in spite of those obstacles.
Thank you for telling us about your upbringing. So, do you feel that your childhood
led to where you are now. That it gave you hope, through your placement in a deaf school
which gave you the confidence to thrive and progress to the point of where you are today?
Yes, I think my experiences motivated me
to strive for excellence and to give 150%
in everything that I do because I already have the experience of
being oppressed and being isolated at home while watching my peers go off to school every day.
I didn't have those opportunities, and everyone was telling me I couldn't do this or that.
That experience really empowered me to rally against society's negative perceptions,
negative beliefs, and stereotypical attitudes against people with disabilities.
I feel that I'm living proof that...
we can accomplish anything that we put our mind to regardless of standards.
We can accomplish in spite of our limitations no matter what kind of disability or challenge we have.
It is up to us to decide and determine our goals in life. It's up to us.
It's up to us. Through your childhood, was there someone who inspired you to become who you are, someone special?
It sounds cliche, but my mother is dear to me. She is no longer here with me.
She died of cancer after fighting it for six years. She was a single mother of three.
In Jamaica, she was a very poor woman but very proud, very hard working,
very disciplined. She, somehow, always found a way to make sure had a comfortable life in spite of circumstances.
She made sure we had food, a roof over our head, clothing, and good schools.
In spite of her challenges, she put us first and she only had an eighth-grade education.
A lot of times, she had to leave us with relatives: grandma, her sister (my aunt), for weeks at a time
because she worked as a domestic servant. She would go to people's houses and wash their clothes,
clean their houses, take care of their kids, and so that meant sometimes she would have to go far away, into town
to other houses. And that meant we had to hop from house to house. But she always came home with
bags of food in her hands. She knew she was doing something positive for us.
I saw her struggle and her dream to get to this country, America, land of opportunity,
because she wanted to see her children come up in a better life than she did.
Her perseverance, sacrifice, and discipline truly inspired me.
I feel like I must give my all, and to give back to the community to honor her memory.
Your mother had so many good character traits.
What important traits do you look for in people?
I really admire people who are driven.
People who have goals, and will commit their time
and sacrifice energy to achieve their goals.
There's a difference between a goal and a fantasy.
When someone has a goal but doesn't do anything about it, and still thinks that it's achievable-- nah.
So I admire people who are determined and will do whatever it takes to arrive there and succeed.
I'm drawn to people who are not drawn to themselves, but focused on the greater good of society, today's society.
Many people with disabilities still struggle with equality, equal access, communication barriers, physical access to buildings,
struggling with access to technology, and so forth. So I can't be focused on myself.
We who have overcome our struggles and succeeded, it's our turn now to open doors and make opportunities for others.
Not everyone has that internal strength to fight everyday, to overcome barriers repeatedly.
Some people can feel worn out by it all, so we...
if we think only about ourselves, our success, our status... no.
We should focus on the greater good of everyone, especially those who are underserved
or less fortunate than us. We need to give back. So I admire those kinds of individuals.
Now, going back to your goals, can you remember what it was like to be a senior in high school, ready to approach the world?
Can you tell us about your experiences, how you aspired to be and where you are now?
That's a good question. It's funny because I think that I matured at an early age,
partly because of how I was brought up. My struggles forced me to become mature.
So in high school, I was very serious, focused, studious, engaged in different organizations at Lexington School for the Deaf,
Lexington School for the Deaf, in New York.
One activity there that I was involved with was the Mock Trial team.
We debated against other high schools in New York state. And Lexington was the only deaf high school ever to win that competition.
We were an awesome team. Every year, the American Bar Association would come up with a "fake" trial,
and we would have to read the case as if it were real life, then the team would have lawyers-- prosecutors, and defense attorneys--
and witnesses in their roles. So I was involved in that for three years.
It really gave me a taste of what it was like to be a lawyer.
So that experience, in addition to my own experiences of struggling with discrimination, oppression,
came together and therefore I felt a law degree was the right tool for me.
It would be an avenue to change, positive change that would impact policy,
impact people's perceptions and attitudes of individuals who have disabilities.
So by the time I was a sophomore or junior in high school, I already knew I wanted to become a lawyer through my involvement in different activities,
including the student government association at school. So those leadership roles inspired
me to feel that a law degree was the right tool. There is so much you can do with that degree.
You could be a professor, advocate, politician, businessperson.
So I felt and knew that. The nice thing about having that goal early on meant that I would go for it.
I didn't waste any time wandering through college figuring out what I would major in. I was fixated on my goal.
So I think it's nice when you really discipline yourself to figure out what you really want to do in life.
If you make that decision early on, you get there faster.
You spend less time working your way through the path to your career. So I would set a goal right now.
Did you go to a hearing university? How did you approach the interpreter situation? Did you have to right for your rights?
Or did you have access to all communication? What was that like for you?
Great question. Yes, I went to a hearing university, Howard University.
I also went to a hearing law school, American University Washington College of Law.
Both schools were here in Washington, DC.
Howard University... when I arrived they didn't have experience with a full-time deaf student at their university.
Therefore it was a struggle for them to figure out how to best accommodate me in the classroom.
So initially, it was tough. Sometimes I would come to class and there wouldn't be any interpreters there.
I sat through the lectures, not understanding anything. But fortunately, I knew enough to
know that they had legal obligations to provide me with reasonable accommodation.
So my advice to young people is always: Know your rights. Know your rights.
Many laws out there protect us and require anti-discrimination, equal access, especially for programs that receive
Federal money. So I knew Howard University was one of three schools that receive Federal support.
Therefore they were covered under the Rehab Act, Section 504.
The ADA had just passed at that time. But still, they had an obligation under Section 504
of the Rehab Act to provide me with reasonable accommodation. So, fortunately I knew that right. Therefore I was able to advocate
and advocate for myself until the school accepted their responsibility and started to give me regular interpreting services
for my classes. I then told them I wanted to engage in in activities outside of the classroom: Homecoming activities,
the Carribean Student Association, Political Science Society,
and so forth. They only wanted to provide interpreters for the classroom. No. No.
All programs, services, and activities of the University must be inclusive and accessible.
Again, self-advocacy was important. Know your rights and your responsibilities.
You must be tactful, follow the chain of command...
be willing to compromise, but don't compromise if it means reduced access.
Make sure that it's reasonably okay to compromise.
Use your network. For example, Howard University was close to Gallaudet University so when they resisted initially
I went to Gallaudet University. At that time, the law center of the National Association of the Deaf was on campus.
So I went there, talked with the lawyer, and told them of my struggle there.
They were willing to draw a letter to the President of the University and the Dean for Special Student Services.
The letter detailed the requirements of the Rehab Act and the obligations of the University.
So that letter made an impact at Howard. They realized they couldn't dodge their obligations anymore.
Again, the point is to use your network. Think about your resources. Where and who are the allies who could help me?
Who would join me so I wouldn't have to struggle alone, in isolation and frustration, and give up?
There are a lot of resources around you. You just need to know where to go, where to find them, and what to ask.
You said it was important to know your rights. Now, that brings me to my next question:
It's hard to be the only deaf person at a big University. How does that relate to your current job at the White House?
How does it feel to be the first deaf person to work there, and how do you get along with your colleagues?
Do they know deaf culture? Or do you need to educate them?
I think it's a privilege to work here. It's an amazing place to be everyday.
To help shape policy for people with disabilities, working with a team in the Office of Public Engagement.
I couldn't think of a better place to be because the Office of Public Engagement
allows me to engage with the community, hear their needs, concerns, problems, priorities,
and to bring that information back here. I then share it with key players who can help to advance those things on
behalf of the community.
I never want to take credit for being the first at anything.
I always felt that there are a lot of people who came before us.
Sometimes there are circumstances that don't allow people to reveal their identity as a deaf person,
or as a hard of hearing person.
Some individuals truly struggle with the perceptions of society and therefore lack an embrace of diversity
So I see people here working, individuals who clean the building,
several of them are deaf. I've met them on my lunch break in the cafeteria.
They see me signing with my interpreter and approach me: "You're deaf! Me too."
So there have been deaf people before me. My office used to have a deaf intern, Leah Katz [Hernandez].
She really paved the way. So I can't take credit for being first.
I think, together, a few individuals have paved the way for other people to come through.
I think I'm one of the few...
My co-workers here are great. I think being here really enables me to effect a change in culture because
the more colleagues that I interact with-- they see a deaf person, an interpreter, my videophone in the office--
those things really help to educate and to make everyone more sensitive, more aware,
more conscious of the fact that they must include people with disabilities in different programs and activities
here at the White House. It's been a tremendous opportunity.
There's a lot of work. The hours are long. I know the outside world perceives that it's a luxury to work at the White House.
But let me tell you: it's hard work.
What accomodations are made for your access at your job? Do you have an interpreter? A notetaker?
Here at the White House?
It's been great so far. I have a full time interpreter from 9 to 5 everyday.
The interpreter joins me for meetings, lots of conference calls.
In fact, I just had a videophone installed in my office. So far, it's been very accessible and very educational because
because some of the things that have been done, it's the first time for the White House. There's always a first time for everything.
And they've been very accommodating and willing to learn how to make this a successful experience for all of us,
for myself and for my colleagues, and the President.
The President is very committed to the needs of individuals with disabilities,
and his track record on different policies-- he just passed a regulation that will help improve employment
opportunities for individuals with disabilities and veterans who have disabilities.
It's a very significant step. Many advocates in the community say that the recent regulation is equal to the ADA in importance.
So the President is very committed; therefore the White House really wants to include people like me here.
It mirrors the President's commitment.
It appears as if you experience great accessibility. Have you met the President and chatted with him?
Fortunately, yes. On July 25th, we hosted a large event honoring the 23rd anniversary of the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act).
The anniversary is on July 26th. We celebrated it here on the 25th.
That day, we brought in thirteen disability leaders
to meet with the President in the Roosevelt Room.
The President, Valerie Jarrett, Tom Perez, the Secretary of Labor,
along with other senior leaders came in and met with the disability leaders. I was there.
I coordinated that, so I had the opportunity to meet the President and shake his hand that day. It was a wonderful privilege.
Now, let's talk about leadership. What's your definition of leadership?
Leadership... I think the definition... I would call it....
the characteristics of a leader. How I perceive a good leader, how I characterize that person.
This should embody a good communicator, for one.
Be open to constructive feedback. be collaborative.
A leader isn't self-centered but open. It's important, in a leadership role, to remember who you are.
It's about the causes, the policy, the community. It's never about you
as an individual. So a good leader always focuses on the big picture.
What's at stake? What are we trying to accomplish here?
What's the end goal we want? Compromises are essential.
Compromises are always required when you're talking about serious issues, policy issues, diverse views.
Our community, the disabled community, is very diverse. Therefore, there will never be 100% consensus.
A leader should be able to lead people towards a compromise. Win-win situations.
A leader is honest, has integrity, a good reputation, and is is trustworthy.
Transparent. Transparent. There's no definition. I think
it's more of a series of characteristics that make someone a great leader.
Thank you for your answer. Now, you've spoken about your childhood and your career, everything. What do you appreciate most about life?
What are you truly grateful for?
Whoa. I'm so thankful to having been able to overcome my struggles.
From where I started in Jamaica- I was kept home without school,
I didn't have the opportunity to interact or to be part of mainstream society.
I was isolated. To go from isolation to where I am today, who would have dreamed or thought I would work in the White House?
I would have never predicted that. So I am just appreciative that I was stubborn, had blind faith, that I found the internal strength, the perserverance
to ignore the negative pressures of society's perceptions and to keep going, to have my eyes on the prize.
So I am very appreciative that I was able to persevere and to get where I am today, to be in a position where I can inspire others
to believe in themselves, to set high goals, and to reach for the stars.
I really appreciate the strength that God has given me, to get here and to continue to bless me with wonderful opportunities.
So i can give back.
Do you have anything that you'd like to tell the world?
I think you are an amazing person. You're so talented, so great. You'll go far in life.
Do you have a motto that you live by everyday?
There are many. If I had to pick just one...
There are too many...
If I had to pick one: Your life is what you make of it.
Never become a victim of your circumstances. Those are the two key quotes.
I've seen proof: my life story. Getting here in spite of my life circumstances. You really control your life. It is what you make of it.
You shape your own destiny.
I would like to thank you for your time, for coming in and interviewing with me. You continue to inspire people across the world.
I'm glad you could be here. Thank you, thank you.
Thank you! You too. It's been a pleasure talking with you. Good luck with your future.
-Thank you for your time. -Thanks, too. You were great.
-That was fun! - Thanks. It was fun for me too.
My first interview was with Claudia, a truly inspiring person. I felt very honored to hear from someone
who has been through a hard life, and to get where she is, now, working for the White House.
Her advice, her words of wisdom were so inspiring. I'm sure she will inspire many people across the world.
That's for sure.