My aunt Mildred was also a very important role model, along with my grandmother Viola Parsons. The discrimination, that she experienced in Jamaica and in general, inspired her to become a lawyer. At Homeland Security, Gordon was the senior policy advisor for the Department of Homeland Security, Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, At Homeland Security, Claudia Gordons focus was activities such as enforcing an executive order for Individuals with Disabilities in Emergency Preparedness. At 11, she moved to the United States and attended Lexington School for the Deaf in New York. In the summer of 2019, Voorde returned to her hometown of South Bend, Indiana to support Secretary Pete Buttigiegs run for President, serving as Chasten Buttigiegs full-time body woman on the campaign trail. Given the fact that nearly one in four American workers is employed by a company that receives Federal funds for contracted work, stronger Section 503 regulations, backed by real enforcement, will ensure that more people with disabilities have equal employment opportunity in the labor force. Typically, policy changes like this are submitted for public comment after theyve been formulated. A. degree from Howard University . Gordon went on to earn adegree in Political Science at Howard University, then went on to study disability-rights law and policy at American Universitys Washington College of Law. See Claudia L. Gordon full list of movies and tv shows from their career. Claudia remembers how she was treated in Jamaica after going deaf. Pat spent 26 years as a public interest attorney fighting on behalf of the victims of employment discrimination. Claudia L. Gordon is the first deaf African-American female attorney in the United States. Along with her Bachelor of Arts degree in political science, she also earned a spot in The Patricia Roberts Harris Public Affairs Fellowship, Golden Key National Honor Society, and Political Science Honor Society. Recently, what has been new and exciting about your work? [26] She has served on multiple boards, including American Association of People with Disabilities[27] and Gallaudet University. Facebook gives people the power. She has received the 2005 Hurricane Response Award, the Paul G. Hearne Leadership Award, the 2010 Deaf Life Magazine Deaf Person of the Year award, and the 2011 Amos Kendall Award. Claudia L. Gordon is the first deaf African-American female attorney in the United States. I have an innate desire to give back. She was the national vice president of the National Black Deaf Advocates from 2002 to 2005. At Lexington, she learned sign language for the first time and became the valedictorian of her junior and senior high school graduating classes. Senior Accessibility Strategy Partner at T-Mobile Speaker, Consultant, Mentor Seen in Obama White House, Google, BBC, Washington Post, and TED Talk ("Owning Otherness"). Disclamer: the number about Claudia L. Gordon's Instagram salary income and Claudia L. Gordon's Instagram net worth are just estimation based on publicly available information about Instagram's monetization programs, it is by no . Rifkind is passionate about the arts and serves as Treasurer for the Chicago Cultural Accessibility Consortium. There are scores of other individuals I could name because behind every successful person are plenty of people: role models, mentors, colleagues, friends and family members. People believed I was unable to learn and succeed simply because I could not hear, she recalls, these experiences convinced me that I wanted to be a vehicle for change. Claudia decided on law school to help her pursue such change, attending American University, Washington College of Law to study disability rights law and policy. Progress has been made due to a combination of an increase of concern for safety in a post-9/11 world and the success of the disability rights movement; however, there are still some gaps that need to be filled. Some cited my deafness as an obstacle rendering it impractical if not impossible to pursue a law degree. Claudia L. Gordon she/her Inclusion and equity champion. Since earning her juris doctorate from AU, Gordon has been active in working to ensure the rights of people with disabilities are respected. In 1995, Gordon graduated with honors from Howard University. My life changed overnight, she said in an interview later in lifewith the White House. NCD fulfills its advisory roles regarding disability policies, programs, procedures, and practices that enhance equal opportunity by: convening stakeholders to acquire timely and relevant input for recommendations and action steps; gathering and analyzing data and other information; engaging and influencing current debates and agendas;identifying and formulating solutions to emerging and long-standing challenges; and providing tools to facilitate effective implementation.Hoskie Benally, Jr., Member, National Council on DisabilityHoskie Benally Jr., is a Member of the Navajo Nation and is Legally Blind. She works at the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs and has. In 2004, she became Senior Policy Advisor for the Department of Homeland Security, Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties. Have a tip or story idea? Assistant Secretary of Labor for Disability Employment Policy Kathleen Martinez. She later went to the American University Washington College of Law. By joining TV Guide, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy. She won a Skadden Fellowship for2000-2002, and worked as a staff attorney at the NAD Law and Advocacy Center and a consulting attorney with the National Council on Disability. Born on April 12 #43. Profile. She went from being the brightest and most outgoing kid in my class, to being pulled out of school, isolated from her friends, and became an object of ridicule. When she immigrated to America -- the South Bronx --she kept right on working to ensure that within a few years she would be reunited with her three children, whom she had left in the care of her eldest sister, my aunt Mildred Taylor. Gordon shared her ongoing quest to create spaces in society for seldom-heard voices in her TEDx Talk: Owning Otherness.[35]. At OFCCP Claudia works on ensuring that contractors doing business with the Federal government do not discriminate and take affirmative action. Braddy is married to Rovenia Braddy, who is an author and playwright. How Long Will Joe Goldbergs Rampage Be Left Unchecked? Gordon received the Skadden Fellowship (for law graduates working with disabled people) that helped her pay to work at the National Association of the Deaf Law and Advocacy Center. He graduated from Temple University with his MSW in 1988 after receiving his BSW from Edinboro University. Benally is also involved with the National Congress of American Indians, Disability Sub-Committee. Previously, Claudia was a Planning & Performance Mo nitoring Officer at HEART Trust/NTA and also held positions at Lexington School for the Deaf, Goje Frozen Yogurt, Department of Homeland Security. [18], Gordon has been active in both the black deaf community and the cross disability community. The OFCCP has powerful investigative and regulatory authorities for protecting workers, promoting diversity, and enforcing the law. February 29, 2016 by Sue Ann Rodriquez 1 Comment. For three years, Gordon was a member of the only deaf mock trial team in New York and the only deaf high school to ever win the competition. It was there that I confronted the truth that passing legislation is one thing but actual implementation with enforcement is another. My interest in working for the Federal government was sparked while working as a Skadden Fellow and staff attorney at the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) Law and Advocacy Center from 2000-2002. When I suddenly lost my ability to hear at the age of eight, I was taken out of school and kept at home to perform chores. Love Island 2023 star Claudia finds herself confronting Casey yet again (Image: ITV/REX/Shutterstock). Claudia L. Gordon, Esq. August 30, 2010. http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2010/08/30/meet-women-administration-claudia-gordon, Copyright 1995-2023 Jolanta Lapiak. Claudia Gordon a trailblazer who reminds us that immigrants, they get the job done. 17 Likes, 1 Comments - Virna L Torres (@torresvirnal) on Instagram: "Happy Birthday Claudia!!! ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Gordon later emigrated to the United States and reunited with her mother, who was living in South Bronx, New York. Claudia Gordon. I thought I was the only deaf person in the world. The company's filing status is listed as Forfeited Existence and its File Number is 0801661939. Prior to DOL she was a Senior Policy Advisor with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties. Join Facebook to connect with Claudia Gordon and others you may know. Claudia Gordon is the third featured guest in the Council on Women and Girls: Meet the Women of the Administration series. She most recently served as an Associate Director in the White House Office of Public Engagement as the Biden-Harris Administrations liaison to Disabled Americans and K-12 educators.Voordes personal passions and professional expertise center on justice for individuals with disabilities and equitable access to education. Or to keep it anonymous, click here. She is also the first deaf person to work at the White House in an detailee capacity. I want to contribute to a better society where there is more understanding and acceptance of people with disabilities and where the same opportunities are provided for all." Facebook gives people the power. While there she developed and executed technical assistance and training to JFO staff and coordinate resolutions of discrimination and accessibility issues. I want to take the opportunity to remind you all; just in case some" She was instrumental in drafting and implementing an executive order on Individuals with Disabilities in Emergency Preparedness. NOT JUST COUNTRY FLORAL & GIFTS LLC is a Texas Domestic Limited-Liability Company (Llc) filed on September 28, 2012. [16], Before joining T-Mobile to lead strategies for disability-inclusive culture and accessible work environment,[17] Gordon was a Senior Manager of Government and Compliance at Sprint. [3][4], Gordon was born in St. Mary, Jamaica in March 1972.[5]. In this role, she drives strategies for a disability inclusive culture and an accessible plus equitable work environment. Still lives in Brooklyn with her over 500 Pokmon that she has Eevee trained into a mighty army. In 1995, she graduated form Howard University with a Bachelors in Political Science. Disability is something that often gets overlooked when we talk about the spectrum of representation, so it was very important to me to make sure we do not ignore them in our celebration of black women. Philanthropic organization are vital to the work of advancing disability inclusion and access. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Most of her work involves the implementation of the executive order for Individuals with Disabilities in Emergency Preparedness, which makes sure federal agencies work together to ensure that emergency preparedness plans are inclusive of the needs and expertise of those with disabilities. Claudia was a member of the Obama Administration from December 2009 to January 2017 initially serving as Special Assistant to the Director of the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) and then as OFCCP's Chief of Staff. That would have been Claudias life, except at the age of eleven her mother went to America and she was transferred to Lexington School for the Deaf. While working with impoverished and minority deaf people, she became attracted to the prospect of working in a Federal office. Its that reality of our jobs knowing that we have a window of opportunity to effect such sweeping and systematic change that makes me proud of the work we do. Log in or sign up for Facebook to connect with friends, family and people you know. In Jamaica, Gordon could not get an education, so she moved to the United States where she attended first a public school, then the Lexington School and Center for the Deaf in New York. WASHINGTON Today, President Biden announced his intent to appoint the following individuals to serve as members on the National Council on Disability: National Council on DisabilityNational Council on Disability (NCD) is an independent federal agency charged with advising the President, Congress, and other federal agencies regarding policies, programs, practices, and procedures that affect people with disabilities. At age 11, she attended Lexington School for the Deaf and learned American Sign Language (ASL) there. Read the latest blog posts from 1600 Pennsylvania Ave, Check out the most popular infographics and videos, View the photo of the day and other galleries, Tune in to White House events and statements as they happen, See the lineup of artists and performers at the White House, Eisenhower Executive Office Building Tour, Director of the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP), Under Secretary of Commerce for Economic Affairs Rebecca Blank. In truth, I was raised by a community of women. Claudia L. Gordon is the first deaf Black female attorney in the United States. Senior Accessibility Strategist at T-Mobile . After having sharp pains in her ears, her aunt, who took care of her at the time, took her to a small clinic, as there were no hospitals. Please enable JavaScript to use this feature. Being around other deaf children, and being embraced by a community taught Gordon that her disability was not the end of the road. My mother taught me that we all control our own destiny and should never become victims of our circumstances. [15], Gordon was part of the Presidential Delegation of Barack Obama sent to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for the Opening Ceremony of the 2016 Summer Paralympics. Opt in to send and receive text messages from President Biden. See Photos. @claudia.l.gordon.1. Meet other fascinating administration women by checking out our post on Under Secretary of Commerce for Economic Affairs Rebecca Blank and our post on Assistant Secretary of Labor for Disability Employment Policy Kathleen Martinez. When she graduated from the school in 2000, she became the first known deaf black American woman to earn a Juris Doctor. None of the doctors did anything to really help or make clear what. Some cited my deafness as an obstacle rendering it impractical if not impossible to pursue a law degree. When Hurricane Katrina hit, Gordons efforts to ensure that the needs of disabled people were met in hurricane relief efforts earned her both the Gold Medal Award and the 2005 Hurricane Response Award from the Secretary of Homeland Security, Claudia Gordon has been active in both the black deaf community and the broader disability community. None of the doctors did anything to really help or make clear what was going on. She was the vice president of the National Black Deaf Advocates. She was also the associate director at the White House Office of Public Engagement. Foreign-born deaf lawyer uses opportunity in America to help those with disabilities during emergencies. Claudia L. Gordon is the first deaf Black female attorney in the United States. Leave a comment She was a woman of profound faith and perseverance up until the very day she lost her six year battle with ovarian cancer in 2000. Thanks to the values that were instilled in me during my formative years, I understood then that those voices of doubt neither dictated my worth nor my capacity. Claudia L. Gordon, Member, National Council on Disability Claudia Gordon is a dedicated advocate for people with disabilities with nearly 30 years of versatile professional expertise, with a . Despite all the hardships, they created a positive environment in which all of us children could be properly nourished with a sense of responsibility, dignity and pride. Claudia L. Gordonwas born in Jamaica. She currently works in the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs. I think its an exciting way for government to function and is in keeping with the high standards of inclusion, openness and transparency that the President has set for all of us. [5] She suddenly lost her sense of hearing at the age of eight. Baggetto, Maude. After law school, she was a staff attorney for the National Association of the Deaf Law and Advocacy Center and a consulting attorney with the National Council on Disability. It's time to renew your membership and keep access to free CLE, valuable publications and more. She is a former staff attorney with the National Association of the Deaf Law and Advocacy Center and have also worked as a consulting attorney with the National Council on Disability. In 2004, she was named secretary of the Board for the Lexington Board of Directors. After two years of no education, Claudia and her mother immigrated to New York. Voorde recently returned to her hometown of South Bend, Indiana. They were always in the background pitching in whenever my Mom was in need. She was given some antibiotics but she eventually became deaf. Additionally, he has taught at Temple University and Millersville University as an Adjunct Professor.Two different Governors have appointed Braddy as a Commissioner for the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission and to serve on the Pennsylvania Statewide Independent Living Council. Born in Jamaica, Gordon went deaf around the age of eight years old after she suddenly developed severe pain in her middle ears. This political appointment made Gordon the first deaf person to work at the White House in a detailee capacity. Gordon is also associated with the National Coalition for Disability Rights , where she is part of their national governance, Sources: http://deafness.about.com/od/deafwomen/p/claudiagordon.htm http://www.deafpeople.com/dp_of_month/Gordon.html, Sylvia Walker: A Champion for Disability Rights, Filed Under: Access Awareness, General, Making a Case for Accessibility, [] at the National Association of the Deaf Law and Advocacy Center, giving her the opportunity to provide direct representation and advocacy for poor deaf persons with a particular emphasis on outreach []. She was the vice president of the National Black Deaf Advocates. I felt that a job with the Federal government would more effectively allow me to affect the actual enforcement of laws such as the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, thereby alleviating the blatant discrimination that people with disabilities continue to face. She is also the first deaf student to graduate in 2000, from the American University (AU) Washington College of Law, in Washington, DC. Accessibility Quick Tips WeCo's Accessibility Blog Updates WeCo's Network for VCR Professionals & Job Coaches, Manual Accessibility Audits and Remediation, Accessibility, Usability, and Disability Awareness Training, Accessibility, Inclusion SME Speaker Services, National Association of the Deaf Law and Advocacy Center, http://deafness.about.com/od/deafwomen/p/claudiagordon.htm, http://www.deafpeople.com/dp_of_month/Gordon.html, From Jamaica to U.S., heres the story of the first female deaf Black lawyer who advised Obama africainmatters.