In January 2024, NC State gained a new Coordinator of Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and DeafBlind (D/HH/DB) services to support Deaf students, staff and faculty at NC State. The Office of Equal Opportunity is delighted that Taylor Ofori, a certified sign language interpreter with degrees in criminology and signed language interpreting from the University of New Mexico, has taken on this inaugural role.
The coordinator position assists with coordinating campus-wide sign language interpreting and Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) services for Deaf individuals and programs. Since taking this role, Taylor has worked with several departments to provide guidance in support for equal access in classrooms, community, and university events, like university admissions presentations, universal design symposium within the College of Design and the Watauga Medal Ceremony. Taylor also serves on the NC State Accessibility Collaborative steering committee.
Previously serving as one of NC State’s part-time Sign Language Interpreters, Taylor now has the added duty of expanding strategic partnerships and collaborations with various units across the university. The creation of this position is another example of NC State’s commitment to provide equal access for all students, staff, and faculty.
In her previous career, Taylor was a legal assistant and an EMT, and brings those experiences with her to her interpreting work. Taylor has a passion for DeafBlind interpreting and has participated in various Protactile trainings across the country.
Taylor is available to discuss various resources that may be available for individuals and programs to create an environment accessible to individuals regardless of abilities. If you have questions or would like more information, please contact her at tofori@ncsu.edu.
*The term “Deaf” is used as an inclusive term to include Deaf, Hard of Hearing, DeafBlind, and DeafDisabled individuals.
This post was originally published in Provost's Office News.
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