Bi-Weekly Newsletter:

LS Advisory Board Member: Barbara Mathis – President

Barbara Mathis is a Child of Deaf Adults, CODA, who has been a professional interpreter for the last 50 years. She is so grateful to her deaf parents who gave her the gift of the deaf community, deaf culture, the beautiful language of ASL, and a career that she loves and cherishes everyday.

In 1977, she joined the staff of GLAD, Inc. when they received their first substantial funding to provide services to the deaf community of Los Angeles and surrounding counties. She was Marcella M. Meyer’s, CEO of GLAD, personal interpreter/administrative assistant. She left that position in 1981, but continued as a freelance community interpreter for LIFESIGNS to present day.  From 1980 to 1986, she taught ASL/Interpreting at Birmingham High School for the LA Unified School District.

Barbara considers it an honor and a joy to have served on the LIFESIGNS Advisory Board from 2002 to date. She began as Secretary of the Board and years later became President. She attended community college in 1974 taking 2 classes every semester while working full time. She stopped when she had her children and went back 23 years later to California State University at Northridge in 2009 to finish her Bachelor of Arts degree in Liberal Studies. She graduated in 2012.

Barbara has always believed in lifelong learning and certification. She holds an SC:L, CSC, NAD V, CCASDHH – Level VI -Legal, and an OIC certificate from the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, Inc. She has worked as a Certified Court Interpreter for the last 40 years. Additionally, she works as a Video Relay Interpreter for Sorenson Communications and has been there for the last 22 years.

She loves creating balance in her life by spending time with her family, traveling, reading, and working in the garden.

Her advice for interpreters is to have a strong self-monitor, value empathy, and strive for certification.