Cultural Corner: The Deaf Among Us

Education

Covina Valley Unified School District (CVUSD): Believe it or not, CVUSD has a thriving Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing programLinks to an external site. for mainstream education. While DHH students are not forced to attend any one school site, many voluntarily populate at South Hills High School. Here, students have access to interpreters, specialized instruction, and other beneficial opportunities. SHHS has been known to offer free community ASL classes open to all (especially those who have a Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing family member).
Mt. San Antonio College (Mt. SAC): Right next to Cal Poly Pomona is Mt. San Antonio College. This community college is booming with ASL. This school has a robust DHH populationLinks to an external site., which includes DHH learning cohorts, tutoring offered in sign language, their very own DHH center, and a long list of interpreters. Speaking of interpreters, they have an interpreting programLinks to an external site. too. Many students who start learning sign go on to complete this program. For the sake of clarity, successful completion of this program does not mean a student is a certified interpreter. But, it certainly helps graduates prepare to take interpreting exams, which award proper certification. [If you have questions about interpreting, you are welcome to ask me more.]
California State University Northridge (CSUN): If you ever tell a non-local community member you are from Southern California, you should be prepared to handle references to Cal State University Northridge. CSUN has an even wider DHH presence than Mt. SAC. As a four-year institution, they have Deaf living quarters, the Deaf Studies Office, sign-based extracurriculars, the National Center of Deafness, interpreters, and so much more. Let's listen to CSUN history major KailynLinks to an external site. to learn more about her story of being Deaf on campus.
CSD RiversideLinks to an external site.: In California, there are two residential schools: one in Riverside and one in Fremont. Many DHH locals are familiar with Riverside for the residential school there. If you are not familiar with the term "residential school," please click on the blue hyperlink to learn more about schools for the DeafLinks to an external site.. When you go out into the community, you should be familiar with what CSDR is and what they have to offer. Here's a virtual tourLinks to an external site. to learn more.

Social

MATA Expo: When it comes to social happenings in the Deaf community, a book could be written! One popular event is the MATA ExpoLinks to an external site., which makes its Southern California appearance twice a year: at the Fairplex in Pomona in the Spring, and in Ontario in the Fall. You can think of it like a giant indoor swap meet or street fair in ASL.
DeafNation: Like the MATA Expo, DeafNation is a gathering of Deaf and hard of hearing people to socialize, watch shoes, sell merchandise, eat food, and enjoy in Deaf culture. DeafNation travels across the U.S. They frequently make a pitstop in the Spring in Pasadena.
Other happenings: I recommend taking a look at this digital calendarLinks to an external site. for more local happenings which might interest you.

Resources

Greater Los Angeles Agency on Deafness (GLAD): This agency has a central mission of providing equal access to the Deaf community in the greater Los Angeles area. They provide interpreters, ASL classes, enrichment opportunities, workshops and more.
Video Relay Services (VRS): Ever wonder how Deaf people get telephone calls? Video Relay Interpreters (VRIs) work for VRS companies, such as SorensonLinks to an external site., PurpleLinks to an external site., and Convo RelayLinks to an external site.. To learn more about how a VRS call works, click hereLinks to an external site..
Other interpreting agencies: When interpreting is not done remotely, people have the chance to request an interpreter through an interpreting agency, like GLAD or RISE interpretingLinks to an external site.. In most cases, a person (Deaf or hearing) will put in a request for an interpreter. From here, interpreters working for the agency will get a notification from the agency about a new job posting. Interpreters will see the type of the event it is, the date and time, the location, and any special instructions. They cannot see who put in the request. Oftentimes, the interpreter who accepts the job first will get it. She/he is responsible for driving to the destination on time, dressing appropriately and providing interpreting services.

Religious

Many houses of worship have (or had) interpreters present and/or a special service set aside for the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing.

Holy Angels Catholic Church of the DeafLinks to an external site. (HAC) is a Catholic Church in Vernon, Los Angeles. Unlike most churches, HAC is a church of the Deaf. All of their services are held in American Sign Language. The current pastor, the pastor emeritus, and two of the four deacons are Deaf/hard-of-hearing. Spoken interpretation is offered in English and Spanish.

Inter-Community Church of GodLinks to an external site. (ICC) previously had a sizable DHH congregation in addition to their hearing churchgoers. The church once offered a service in American Sign Language. In addition, they had a pastor who's Deaf-blind (i.e. He is both Deaf and blind. He uses pro-tactile ASLLinks to an external site. to communicate.) After the pastor moved states in 2023, it appears the Deaf community moved somewhere else. I haven't figured out where they relocated to.

Other churches with ASL interpreted services: