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Berkshire Eagle Online - Educator named in 'Who's Who'
Deborah Holden is a teacher, yet most of her pupils will never hear the sound of her voice.
She and fellow teacher of the deaf Kathy Whelihan work with about 50 children, their families and more than 200 teachers per year in the Pittsfield Public School System.
Holden works with children in Grades 6 through 12, while Whelihan teaches the younger ones.
Their duties go well beyond the task of interpretation, and they have the ability to teach young people how to live positively and accept "deaf culture."
In Holden's case, she has made such a difference that a former student anonymously nominated her for the "Who's Who Among America's Teachers" honor, for which Holden recently received recognition.
Here she talks about working in a world where, though sound is silent, voices still struggle to be heard.
Name: Deborah L. Holden.
Age: 43.
Residence: Averill Park, N.Y. She lives with her husband, Gary, and their children, Sally, 7, and Sam, 10, both of whom have learned ASL (American Sign Language).
Occupation: A teacher of the deaf, she has a bachelor's degree in education from Stony Brook University and a master's degree in deafness rehabilitation from New York University, and has taught in locations from New York state and the Berkshires to Berkshire County, England.
Length of involvement: 20 years.
Q: How did you get into this job?
A: I was in (college) trying to figure out what to do, and I saw that there was this ASL course. I thought, I'm Italian, and my hands already flail around, so why not? But I love it. I really love it. I think the deaf lifestyle, the culture, is so cool.
Q: Is deafness a disability?
A: Deafness is really the invisible disability — you can't really tell that someone has no hearing by looking them in the face. Most deaf people do not see it as a disability. When you say hearing impaired, most people think they are being polite — but, for someone who's deaf, it's like saying "Hey, broken-hearing person." We try to pass them through like they're going to get better, when the truth ... for that kid it is "No, honey. You're not going to hear for the rest of your life."
Q: In the past five years, there have been major advancements in audiology (the study of hearing), from newborn hearing screenings to cochlear implants and other technologies. Do you see any other advancements?
A: A lot has been done, but there will always be that core group of deaf kids who will have to live without hearing.
Her colleague Kathy Whelihan agreed and noted that social norms have changed because of advancements.
"With the new technology, kids can come to the public schools and not be sent away to schools for the deaf," Whelihan said.
"That's important," Holden added. "Kids, especially as they grow up, don't want to be seen as different. They just want to be who they are."
Deborah Holden is a teacher, yet most of her pupils will never hear the sound of her voice.
She and fellow teacher of the deaf Kathy Whelihan work with about 50 children, their families and more than 200 teachers per year in the Pittsfield Public School System.
Holden works with children in Grades 6 through 12, while Whelihan teaches the younger ones.
Their duties go well beyond the task of interpretation, and they have the ability to teach young people how to live positively and accept "deaf culture."
In Holden's case, she has made such a difference that a former student anonymously nominated her for the "Who's Who Among America's Teachers" honor, for which Holden recently received recognition.
Here she talks about working in a world where, though sound is silent, voices still struggle to be heard.
Name: Deborah L. Holden.
Age: 43.
Residence: Averill Park, N.Y. She lives with her husband, Gary, and their children, Sally, 7, and Sam, 10, both of whom have learned ASL (American Sign Language).
Occupation: A teacher of the deaf, she has a bachelor's degree in education from Stony Brook University and a master's degree in deafness rehabilitation from New York University, and has taught in locations from New York state and the Berkshires to Berkshire County, England.
Length of involvement: 20 years.
Q: How did you get into this job?
A: I was in (college) trying to figure out what to do, and I saw that there was this ASL course. I thought, I'm Italian, and my hands already flail around, so why not? But I love it. I really love it. I think the deaf lifestyle, the culture, is so cool.
Q: Is deafness a disability?
A: Deafness is really the invisible disability — you can't really tell that someone has no hearing by looking them in the face. Most deaf people do not see it as a disability. When you say hearing impaired, most people think they are being polite — but, for someone who's deaf, it's like saying "Hey, broken-hearing person." We try to pass them through like they're going to get better, when the truth ... for that kid it is "No, honey. You're not going to hear for the rest of your life."
Q: In the past five years, there have been major advancements in audiology (the study of hearing), from newborn hearing screenings to cochlear implants and other technologies. Do you see any other advancements?
A: A lot has been done, but there will always be that core group of deaf kids who will have to live without hearing.
Her colleague Kathy Whelihan agreed and noted that social norms have changed because of advancements.
"With the new technology, kids can come to the public schools and not be sent away to schools for the deaf," Whelihan said.
"That's important," Holden added. "Kids, especially as they grow up, don't want to be seen as different. They just want to be who they are."