Maine
Commission for the Deaf, Hard of Hearing and Late Deafened invites you to the
Annual Tea in
celebration of Deaf Culture Week on Thursday, September 20, 2018 from 2:00 to
4:00 p.m. in the afternoon at the State House Hall of Flags.
Entrance to the new Augusta CareerCenter at the Maine Department of Labor.
The Augusta
CareerCenter, along with programs for Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) and the Division for the Blind and Visually Impaired (DBVI), have moved just down the hill to within the Department of Labor
on 45 Commerce Drive in Augusta as of March 26. Hours of operation and contact information have not changed.
Sue Henri-MacKenzie, Rehabilitation Counselor for the Deaf II
Sue
Henri-MacKenzie is originally from Massachusetts and has worked with parents of
children with various strengths and needs, teaching advocacy, facilitating meetings
and presenting workshops. Sue has worked at the Southern Maine Parent
Awareness, the York County CareerCenter in Springvale, the Department of Health and Human
Services, Office of Family Independence, and FEDCAP Opportunity Center in Brewer. She has held such positions as a cosmetologist and a diagnostic vocational evaluator.
Previously, Sue worked as a certified interpreter for the Deaf in the Whittier
Vocational Technical High School and Little Harbor Elementary school programs. Sue
also, volunteered at the New England Camp for the Deaf for many summers as the
Arts & Crafts Director. Sue looks forward to this new employment
adventure!
Sue’s
contact information:
Sue
Henri-MacKenzie, Rehabilitation Counselor for the Deaf II Division
of Vocational Rehabilitation/Division for the Deaf, Hard of Hearing and Late
Deafened Bangor
CareerCenter, 45
Oak Street, Suite 1, Bangor,
Maine 04401 Sue.E.Henri-MacKenzie@Maine.gov Cell:
207-217-0158 (Voice or Text)
This girl refuses to be limited by what has traditionally been known as a physical mental health or developmental challenge. She is busy redefining “able” and making positive changes for girls in Maine along the way.
Emma Foster
EMMA FOSTER – Orrington – Grade 12, Age 18
At two-days-old, Emma was diagnosed as deaf. Since she was young she’s advocated for successfully mandating the insurance companies in Maine provide hearing tests to newborns. She has conducted a “Diversity” class for future social workers, principals and students majoring in special needs at the University of Maine.
Emma has participated for several years in an American Sign Language course at the University of Maine at Orono to work with students to learn to work with deaf children. In July 2016, she was nominated to the Board of Commissioners for the Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing, Late Deafened/Blind at the State House. She is the State of Maine’s “Student Ambassador” and represents all the Deaf/HOH children in the State of Maine. In August 2016, she was appointed to the Maine Educational Center for the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing (Baxter School for the Deaf) School Board and recently has been part of a subcommittee for legislative issues at the state level representing the school board.
Could
you share with us what your family life was like as a child?
I was a quiet child, but there was always plenty to
do on the farm. My house was often the gathering place for family, friends and
the neighborhood. A lot of sports, farming adventures and town activities were
always taking place on our farm or nearby.
I did have a hard time with communication, but
appreciated having others around. Physical activities such as basketball,
snowmobiling, horses, and gatherings at the family pond kept me busy. I loved
reading books long past my bedtime, and feel that played a part in my education.
Parents should start reading/showing/signing books to their children on the
day they are born.
What
mode of communication did you use as a child?
As
a child, I used spoken English for communication. I relied heavily on lip
reading and missed a lot of information. My self-esteem and sense of identity
was a real struggle.
What
is your family life like now?
My family uses a few signs now. I have a young niece
and nephew that know how to use signs to get things they want! My family does
much better with me in small numbers; I do have a harder time when there is a
larger gathering.
Have
you always lived in Maine?
Yes, I grew up in Maine in a small town north of
Bangor. Most of my 90’s was spent in Washington D.C. and Maryland the years while I
was going to college. I did live in Maryland for another year after I
graduated.
What
kind of work have you done?
My work is constantly changing. I basically go where
I am needed and fill many roles as an educator and mentor. In Maine, I have
worked as a director of a summer program called Sign-N-Kids, Teacher of Deaf in
K-12 public schools. I serve as an Adult Education teacher. I have also taught
ASL at high schools and five college campuses. My early intervention work has been
given great rewards. I have just started teaching Gentle Yoga. Deaf advocacy
also plays an important role in my life. I run a social group in Belfast
connecting my students with the Deaf community that meets the last Sunday of the
month.
As
a Deaf professional, what would be your proudest accomplishments?
As a Deaf professional, I honestly feel that my
proudest accomplishment has not happened yet. This dream accomplishment, is
really a team effort. One where each one of us has an equal opportunity to do whatever
our hearts desire, work, language access and education for all locations in the
state of Maine.
I do see my accomplishments in my students and the ripple
effect that happens within them. I LOVE getting an Email from a student who had
me years ago, informing me about how they communicated with a Deaf person at
work, on the street or a new deaf member in the family. They would comment on how
much they learned from me. They may not remember their signs, but the fact they
could communicate/figure it out, knew what to do, means a lot. I also
appreciate those students who have stood/stand up for the value of the Deaf
Community beliefs of equality and its members within society.
I recently watched the movie “The Post”, the movie
had a profound impact on me. The movie addressed issues of what I like to call
the 4-A’s: Acceptance for who you truly are, Accountability for
the situation (on many levels), providing Awareness of the situation and
ACTION. Stand up for what you believe in. Anything is possible, but you must
take the risk. This reminds me of Michelle Ames, Blaine Tea keynote presentation,
of how we all need to be a star within the community. I would love to see
everyone in the Deaf Community sector be a star and take on the 4-A’s.
Where
do you work?
I
am currently working in the university system (Orono/Augusta) as an ASL instructor.
I also teach at Camden Adult Education. However, you will often find me doing a
variety of jobs as far east as Bar Harbor, as far west as New Sharon, North to
Fort Kent, and south to Portland. Sometimes schools or agencies hire me for
contract work as well.
What
population do you work with?
I work with any D/deaf, Hard of Hearing, non-verbal
or hearing person that may need my services. My oldest student to date has been
86, my youngest, 1 month. I really enjoy working with people of diverse
backgrounds and those who learn differently. I appreciate being a part of the
process in finding solutions to make things work for them. When I work with
people, I often live by and teach there is no such thing as “can’t” and “there
is no ‘I’ in team. We must figure it out together.
What
are some of your successes?
My
Deaf advocacy work has been my biggest success. My summer camp was also very
rewarding. My success really lies within my students. If I spent days trying to
find a way for a student who may learn differently to understand a concept, and
that student finally gets the concept, that is a success. I also value others
“speaking up” on certain issues and taking a role in what needs to be done. If
I bring up a social advocacy issue with someone and it gets carried to someone
else, discussed and acted upon, that is a success. On a personal interest
level, my published poetry and becoming a certified yoga teacher have been
accomplishments. My kayaking and photography have also brought great joy. Next,
I will work on cultivating my poetry performances, yoga instruction and having
a healthier lifestyle.
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