[visionary] Paul Hearne Awards
- From: "Mark Johnson" <Mark_Johnson@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: visionary@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Mon, 10 Feb 2003 09:37:18 -0500
Congratulations, Claudia.
Mark
Claudia Gordon, the first Black deaf female attorney in the U.S., has been an
advocate
for people with disabilities since high school. It was her desire to
address societal barriers faced by people with disabilities that motivated
her to pursue a legal education and career. Since graduating from law
school and being admitted to the Maryland Bar, Claudia has conducted
numerous empowerment and legal education outreach and training to
communities and organizations in both the U.S. and St. Thomas USVI.
"Being hailed as the first Black deaf female attorney in the U.S. has
evidentially been an inspiration to members of this community, especially
the youths, in setting high goals for themselves," she explains.
Claudia worked for two years at the National Association of the Deaf (NAD)
Law Center, where on behalf of persons experiencing discrimination on the
basis of deafness, she provided legal advocacy through direct legal
representation in civil cases, technical assistance, training and
outreach.
Claudia has a longstanding association with the National Black Deaf
Advocates Association (NBDA), having served since 1989, and is currently
its Vice-President. She has also provided advocacy leadership at the
National Association of the Deaf Law Center; the Civil Practice Clinic at
the Washington College of Law, Washington, DC Public Defender
Service-Mental Health Division; the Black Law Students Association; the
National Black Deaf Advocates Association; and the Consumer Action
Network.
Additionally, Claudia has chaired a number of disability-oriented
committees, participated in a number of advisory groups on disability and
cultural diversity-related issues, and presented at a wide array of
disability conferences and meetings. Her writings on disability policy
have appeared in various organizational newsletters.
Currently, she is an independent consultant to the National Council on
Disability (NCD)
Claudia has identified two very strong personal goals for the next five
years: 1) to continue to advocate for the rights and quality of life of
individuals with disabilities, on both a national and grassroots level;
and 2) to establish a direct service foundation for the deaf in
Washington, DC, in order to provide a variety of services to underserved
and unserved segments of the city's deaf community.
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