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Making their issues heard: An agency for the deaf, disabled | APP.com | Asbury Park Press
It's clearly a case of the deaf leading the deaf -- in a very good way.
At the recently opened Deaf Mosaics Center (DMC) in Ocean Township, everyone -- from the executive director to employees and volunteers -- speaks sign language. And founder and CEO Christina Fischbach, plus half her employees, are deaf and well-versed in the nuances of American Sign Language and deaf culture.
DMC is the only deaf-owned agency in the state, Fischbach said, adding that communication is key to assisting clients who are deaf and hard of hearing.
"People need people who speak their own language.'' she said. "We (as a society) are so behind in meeting people's needs.''
Group homes and shelters often don't meet ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) requirements for accommodating deaf people, she said, which exacerbates the trauma of those already experiencing difficulties.
"My goal is to educate all -- protective services, social workers, police, hospitals, doctors, all agencies -- on how to help in the most appropriate and comfortable way possible,'' she said.
The nonprofit center offers workshops on employment, government assistance, advocacy, computer technology, independent living and domestic violence, an autism program, art therapy and sign language classes, interpreters and social clubs.
During a domestic violence workshop earlier this month, Fischbach encouraged participants to identify signs of physical and verbal abuse, to speak up and seek help.
"When your partner always asks you where you are going or criticizes what you are wearing, and you feel like you are walking on eggshells, that is a way of controlling, and a red flag for domestic abuse,'' said client assistant specialist Judy Martin through a voice interpreter.
Another possible sign of violence at home, Martin said, is when ""children act like bullies in school. It's because they're bullied at home.''
"Many deaf people are not trained in how to approach or handle situations. We need the proper staff to communicate with sensitivity,'' Fischbach said. "The same with autism. You have to ask the right kind of question to get the response you want.''
She said that during a previous workshop, two mothers sought advice on how to teach their college-student daughters, both with autism, to avoid abuse in dating situations.
A native of Neptune, Fischbach was employed for 15 years at a Florida agency as resources and operations director, working on many of the same issues she now addresses in her own organization. She became frustrated, however, "because I saw so many needs, and none were being heard or addressed. There was too much red tape and money being raised for things they didn't need.''
Last year, she moved back to the Shore with her two children -- the oldest of whom has autism -- and opened the Deaf Mosaic Center.
"I've always wanted to have my own agency because deaf and disabled people need someone who will listen and have compassion,'' she said.
DMC, which operates on government grants and donations, has 10 employees and 15 volunteers. Since sign language is a requirement for all workers, Fischbach conducts weekly ASL classes for potential volunteers.
Although profoundly deaf since birth, Fischbach, 37, communicates through sign language and speech, something she accomplished through years of speech therapy.
"I'm the only deaf one in my family, but all my life I've been involved with schools with deaf programs, deaf clubs, deaf social events. My parents made sure I was involved with the deaf community while growing up so I could experience both the hearing and deaf worlds,'' she said.
She attended the Deaf Cooperative Education Project in Neptune, the Katzenbach School for the Deaf in Trenton for one year, then was mainstreamed at Neptune High School.
The DMC's support services for deaf, hard-of-hearing and disabled children and adults are aimed at assisting and instilling hope and confidence, she said.
""I'm living proof: Anyone can do anything they want to achieve their dreams and goals,'' she said.
It's clearly a case of the deaf leading the deaf -- in a very good way.
At the recently opened Deaf Mosaics Center (DMC) in Ocean Township, everyone -- from the executive director to employees and volunteers -- speaks sign language. And founder and CEO Christina Fischbach, plus half her employees, are deaf and well-versed in the nuances of American Sign Language and deaf culture.
DMC is the only deaf-owned agency in the state, Fischbach said, adding that communication is key to assisting clients who are deaf and hard of hearing.
"People need people who speak their own language.'' she said. "We (as a society) are so behind in meeting people's needs.''
Group homes and shelters often don't meet ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) requirements for accommodating deaf people, she said, which exacerbates the trauma of those already experiencing difficulties.
"My goal is to educate all -- protective services, social workers, police, hospitals, doctors, all agencies -- on how to help in the most appropriate and comfortable way possible,'' she said.
The nonprofit center offers workshops on employment, government assistance, advocacy, computer technology, independent living and domestic violence, an autism program, art therapy and sign language classes, interpreters and social clubs.
During a domestic violence workshop earlier this month, Fischbach encouraged participants to identify signs of physical and verbal abuse, to speak up and seek help.
"When your partner always asks you where you are going or criticizes what you are wearing, and you feel like you are walking on eggshells, that is a way of controlling, and a red flag for domestic abuse,'' said client assistant specialist Judy Martin through a voice interpreter.
Another possible sign of violence at home, Martin said, is when ""children act like bullies in school. It's because they're bullied at home.''
"Many deaf people are not trained in how to approach or handle situations. We need the proper staff to communicate with sensitivity,'' Fischbach said. "The same with autism. You have to ask the right kind of question to get the response you want.''
She said that during a previous workshop, two mothers sought advice on how to teach their college-student daughters, both with autism, to avoid abuse in dating situations.
A native of Neptune, Fischbach was employed for 15 years at a Florida agency as resources and operations director, working on many of the same issues she now addresses in her own organization. She became frustrated, however, "because I saw so many needs, and none were being heard or addressed. There was too much red tape and money being raised for things they didn't need.''
Last year, she moved back to the Shore with her two children -- the oldest of whom has autism -- and opened the Deaf Mosaic Center.
"I've always wanted to have my own agency because deaf and disabled people need someone who will listen and have compassion,'' she said.
DMC, which operates on government grants and donations, has 10 employees and 15 volunteers. Since sign language is a requirement for all workers, Fischbach conducts weekly ASL classes for potential volunteers.
Although profoundly deaf since birth, Fischbach, 37, communicates through sign language and speech, something she accomplished through years of speech therapy.
"I'm the only deaf one in my family, but all my life I've been involved with schools with deaf programs, deaf clubs, deaf social events. My parents made sure I was involved with the deaf community while growing up so I could experience both the hearing and deaf worlds,'' she said.
She attended the Deaf Cooperative Education Project in Neptune, the Katzenbach School for the Deaf in Trenton for one year, then was mainstreamed at Neptune High School.
The DMC's support services for deaf, hard-of-hearing and disabled children and adults are aimed at assisting and instilling hope and confidence, she said.
""I'm living proof: Anyone can do anything they want to achieve their dreams and goals,'' she said.