Miss-Delectable
New Member
- Joined
- Apr 18, 2004
- Messages
- 17,160
- Reaction score
- 7
Avondale police volunteer teaches how to interact with deaf people
Avondale police volunteer Tina Duresky said her experiences as a deaf person with discrimination and misunderstandings have inspired her to help raise police officers' awareness of interacting with people who can't hear.
Duresky, 41, who was born deaf, has been teaching sign language to officers and civilian employees giving tips on communicating with deaf people. Last year, she started teaching a training class for police officers on interacting with the deaf and hearing-impaired community.
The Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board recently recognized Duresky as an instructor, which means officers who take her training class, "Law Enforcement and the Deaf Community (Invisible Disability)," will receive AZ POST credit for continuing training.
She and Avondale police officials plan to use the training class to increase officers' awareness statewide about interacting with the deaf and hearing-impaired.
Duresky said miscommunication and misunderstandings between police officers and the deaf, such as an officer reacting forcefully when a deaf person doesn't adhere to spoken commands, often lead to trust issues between the groups. She hopes to help mend that rift through her class.
In the training, Duresky gives a basic introduction to deafness, explains how deaf and hearing-impaired people communicate, what officers should do when interacting with a deaf or hearing-impaired person, when to use an interpreter, and teaches them basic sign language, including the alphabet and common police terminology.
Though Duresky can read lips and speak, she uses an interpreter and does not talk during the training to help officers understand what it's like for a deaf person and help them "practice that communication they'll need to use."
"It was real important for the police officers, that they're able to communicate and that they had a tool that they could use when they're out in the field," Duresky told The Republic through an interpreter. "That's why I'm teaching the class, so the police officers can understand and prepare for those types of encounters."
Duresky created the curriculum and began teaching it with her husband, who also is deaf, as in-house training for Avondale officers and staff last fall.
Assistant Police Chief Lynn Parkin said the class, which is in either a two- or four-hour session, was such a hit for those who attended that they asked to learn more in an advanced class.
"It was at that point that we felt it would be important and would add additional credibility to the training to have it as POST (approved)," she said.
POST, which governs standards, training and certification for all police officers in the state, approved the training and Duresky as an instructor in April.
Officers are required to complete at least eight hours each year of continuing training to maintain their certification. Now that the class has POST approval, officers who take it will receive credit hours toward the requirement.
Duresky has not taught the class since POST recognized it, but she is working with Avondale officials to put together informational flyers to distribute to other police departments and organize training sessions in Avondale and at other police departments statewide. All officers who take the class will receive POST credit.
Duresky was born in South Korea and moved to the United States when she was adopted at a young age. She grew up in Michigan in what she called a "hearing family," in which her family did not sign and she learned to talk through speech therapy.
After moving to Arizona as an adult, she earned associates degrees in forensic science and administration of justice from Phoenix College but encountered discrimination when applying for jobs. Eventually, the Avondale Police Department gave her a chance two years ago as a police volunteer, and now she volunteers about 10 hours a week in the crime lab.
"She is very involved, and she is just very eager to learn and I've learned a lot from her myself," Avondale volunteer coordinator Debbie Ray said. "It's been a really good opportunity for the department as well because people have had to rethink how they do things, how they communicate."
Evidence technician Glen Hutchinsen works with Duresky regularly in the crime lab where she volunteers. In addition to her enthusiasm and "infallible" work ethic, he said she has been patient teaching him how to sign.
"I think all of us could learn and benefit from knowing a little bit more about the deaf community and how to respond and interact with them," he said.
Duresky also has a part-time job and works as a referee for community basketball games and an umpire for baseball games, and volunteers with Habitat for Humanity.
Duresky said she feels like a role model. She hopes her example encourages other departments and businesses to give deaf people opportunities.
"Don't reject them right away just because they're deaf, because of that barrier," she said. "Give them the opportunity to show what their abilities are and what they can do for that job. There's a lot of jobs out there, there's a lot of different positions and we need to give them options. Maybe they're not suited for one job but they're suited for something else. . . . Deaf people really can do anything except hear."
Officers who want to take the class or police departments interested in hosting one can contact the Avondale Police Department at 623-333-7001.
Avondale police volunteer Tina Duresky said her experiences as a deaf person with discrimination and misunderstandings have inspired her to help raise police officers' awareness of interacting with people who can't hear.
Duresky, 41, who was born deaf, has been teaching sign language to officers and civilian employees giving tips on communicating with deaf people. Last year, she started teaching a training class for police officers on interacting with the deaf and hearing-impaired community.
The Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board recently recognized Duresky as an instructor, which means officers who take her training class, "Law Enforcement and the Deaf Community (Invisible Disability)," will receive AZ POST credit for continuing training.
She and Avondale police officials plan to use the training class to increase officers' awareness statewide about interacting with the deaf and hearing-impaired.
Duresky said miscommunication and misunderstandings between police officers and the deaf, such as an officer reacting forcefully when a deaf person doesn't adhere to spoken commands, often lead to trust issues between the groups. She hopes to help mend that rift through her class.
In the training, Duresky gives a basic introduction to deafness, explains how deaf and hearing-impaired people communicate, what officers should do when interacting with a deaf or hearing-impaired person, when to use an interpreter, and teaches them basic sign language, including the alphabet and common police terminology.
Though Duresky can read lips and speak, she uses an interpreter and does not talk during the training to help officers understand what it's like for a deaf person and help them "practice that communication they'll need to use."
"It was real important for the police officers, that they're able to communicate and that they had a tool that they could use when they're out in the field," Duresky told The Republic through an interpreter. "That's why I'm teaching the class, so the police officers can understand and prepare for those types of encounters."
Duresky created the curriculum and began teaching it with her husband, who also is deaf, as in-house training for Avondale officers and staff last fall.
Assistant Police Chief Lynn Parkin said the class, which is in either a two- or four-hour session, was such a hit for those who attended that they asked to learn more in an advanced class.
"It was at that point that we felt it would be important and would add additional credibility to the training to have it as POST (approved)," she said.
POST, which governs standards, training and certification for all police officers in the state, approved the training and Duresky as an instructor in April.
Officers are required to complete at least eight hours each year of continuing training to maintain their certification. Now that the class has POST approval, officers who take it will receive credit hours toward the requirement.
Duresky has not taught the class since POST recognized it, but she is working with Avondale officials to put together informational flyers to distribute to other police departments and organize training sessions in Avondale and at other police departments statewide. All officers who take the class will receive POST credit.
Duresky was born in South Korea and moved to the United States when she was adopted at a young age. She grew up in Michigan in what she called a "hearing family," in which her family did not sign and she learned to talk through speech therapy.
After moving to Arizona as an adult, she earned associates degrees in forensic science and administration of justice from Phoenix College but encountered discrimination when applying for jobs. Eventually, the Avondale Police Department gave her a chance two years ago as a police volunteer, and now she volunteers about 10 hours a week in the crime lab.
"She is very involved, and she is just very eager to learn and I've learned a lot from her myself," Avondale volunteer coordinator Debbie Ray said. "It's been a really good opportunity for the department as well because people have had to rethink how they do things, how they communicate."
Evidence technician Glen Hutchinsen works with Duresky regularly in the crime lab where she volunteers. In addition to her enthusiasm and "infallible" work ethic, he said she has been patient teaching him how to sign.
"I think all of us could learn and benefit from knowing a little bit more about the deaf community and how to respond and interact with them," he said.
Duresky also has a part-time job and works as a referee for community basketball games and an umpire for baseball games, and volunteers with Habitat for Humanity.
Duresky said she feels like a role model. She hopes her example encourages other departments and businesses to give deaf people opportunities.
"Don't reject them right away just because they're deaf, because of that barrier," she said. "Give them the opportunity to show what their abilities are and what they can do for that job. There's a lot of jobs out there, there's a lot of different positions and we need to give them options. Maybe they're not suited for one job but they're suited for something else. . . . Deaf people really can do anything except hear."
Officers who want to take the class or police departments interested in hosting one can contact the Avondale Police Department at 623-333-7001.