Have you ever tried to serve a patron who is Deaf, DeafBlind or Hard of Hearing (DDBHH) and struggled to communicate with them? In this webinar, library staff will learn how to interact with members of the DDBHH communities in a culturally appropriate and respectful way.

Chris Woodfill is the Executive Director for the NYS Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing Office. Prior to working at the NYSDDBHH Office, Chris served as the associate executive director for 10 years at the Helen Keller National Center for DeafBlind Youths and Adults. Chris also served two years as the Helen Keller National Center regional representative for New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands. For 13 years, Chris was a high school teacher at the Wisconsin School for the Deaf. He has been active in both the Deaf and DeafBlind communities at local, state, national and international levels for about three decades. Chris identifies as a DeafBlind person.

Rachel Cahill (she/her) serves as the Staff Interpreter to the Executive Director of the NYS Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing Office, Christopher Woodfill, and as the administrative assistant. Rachel is an advocate for communication access.
Rachel is Nationally Certified and has been a freelance interpreter since 2001, most recently working with Deaf professionals and in other environments such as Higher Education, Medical and Government. Rachel has been trained as a Legal Interpreter working in the NYS Courts and working with the DeafBlind community. Rachel has been an Interpreter in New York, Massachusetts and Vermont. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in public communications from the University at Albany. A Capital District native, she lives in Sand Lake with her husband, Scott and her two children, Jack and Josie.

This session is part of our yearlong Room for Everyone series of programs intended to help libraries deepen their accessibility offerings for their community. To view all the programs in this series, please view the Accessibility programs on our event calendar.

This public program is made possible by federal Library Service and Technology Act funds from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, which enable the New York State Library to champion lifelong learning.