When the chance to take early retirement from aerospace engineering came up, Terry Greenland jumped at the opportunity - and landed in a brand
new career. With past experience as a volunteer with the Children's Aid Society - where he learned some basic American Sign Language (ASL) - Greenland
looked into related education options, and decided upon the Intervenor program at George Brown College.
An intervenor is someone who facilitates the interaction of a person who is deaf-blind with their surroundings and other people.
"The description of the program really jumped out at me," recalls Greenland. "It involved learning ASL, which I was hoping to
do anyway, and other techniques to enable communication with individuals who are deaf-blind - a community I had no previous knowledge of, but
was looking forward to becoming involved with."
Ontario is home to about 44 per cent of Canada's deaf-blind population so it's no surprise that the Intervenor program at George Brown College
- developed in partnership with a number of service providers and deaf-blind consumer associations - is the first and largest program of its type
in the world. Graduates find career employment with boards of education, social service agencies, persons who are deaf-blind, community residential
settings and as freelance intervenors.
Now, as a graduate and practicing intervenor, Greenland credits those he met through the program with providing him with encouragement. "The
obvious enthusiasm, commitment, and dedication shown by the George Brown College instructors, impressed and inspired me. And when I began meeting
and working with deaf-blind individuals, I was further inspired by their determination, resourcefulness, and courage. It reminded me that I really
made the right career choice."
Read more stories from George Brown Graduates...
To learn more, visit the George Brown College Alumni page. |
