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. Prior to attending AU, Gordon graduated from Howard University in 1995 with a bachelor of arts in political science. After two years of no education, Claudia and her mother immigrated to New York. My life changed overnight, she said in an interview later in lifewith the White House. More awards and honors came at American University, where Gordon was an Equal Justice Foundation Fellow, had the Myers Law Scholarship, and the J. Franklin Bourne Scholarship. How to say Claudia L. Gordon in English? Grounded in Navajo tradition and fluent in Navajo, Benally is an experienced cultural instructor. I want to take the opportunity to remind you all; just in case some" At AU, Gordon specialized in disability rights law and policy. Quick search hundreds of articles, documents and resources. View the profiles of people named Claudia Gordon. NCD is comprised of a team of Presidential and Congressional appointees, an Executive Director appointed by the Chair, and a full-time professional staff.NCDs mission is to be a trusted advisor, in collaboration with people with disabilities, to: the President; Congress; Federal entities; State, tribal communities, and local governments; and other entities and organizations. Born in Jamaica, Gordon went deaf around the age of eight years old after she suddenly developed severe pain in her middle ears. August 30, 2010. http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2010/08/30/meet-women-administration-claudia-gordon, Copyright 1995-2023 Jolanta Lapiak. Claudia received a B. It is uplifting when you are able to empower another and help someone discover a sense of self-worth and confidence in his or her abilities. Rifkind is passionate about the arts and serves as Treasurer for the Chicago Cultural Accessibility Consortium. 17 Likes, 1 Comments - Virna L Torres (@torresvirnal) on Instagram: "Happy Birthday Claudia!!! #21. 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. Still lives in Brooklyn with her over 500 Pokmon that she has Eevee trained into a mighty army. Gordon was born in St. Mary, Jamaica in March 1972. Throughout Claudia Gordons life, she has been given many awards and honors. Claudia Gordon. She was the vice president of the National Black Deaf Advocates. He is the father of two children, a daughter, Kimmi Braddy, and a son, Theo Braddy Jr.Claudia L. Gordon, Member, National Council on DisabilityClaudia Gordon is a dedicated advocate for people with disabilities with nearly 30 years of versatile professional expertise, with a personal mission to level the playing field and ensure the same opportunities are provided for all. Want more stories like this? Sign Up. Since earning her juris doctorate from AU, Gordon has been active in working to ensure the rights of people with disabilities are respected. Gordon has held senior leadership positions with Sprint Corporation, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the National Council on Disability, and the National Association of the Deaf Law and Advocacy Center. Born in Jamaica, Gordon went deaf around the age of eight years old after she suddenly developed severe pain in her middle ears. Which is exactly the type of work Gordon was driven to do: I am motivated by knowing that although progress is being made towards inclusion and access, there is still a great deal more work to be done. After leaving the OFCCP U.S. Department of Labors Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs. 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 []. 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. sites@gsu - Blogs for Georgia State University. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. On a personal level, Ive had so many wonderful moments at the Department that its difficult to pick just one. Born on April 12 #43. 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. A resource blog for SLIP students by SLIP students. Thank you for this feature! While there she developed and executed technical assistance and training to JFO staff and coordinate resolutions of discrimination and accessibility issues. My mother was my most influential role model. Claudia Gordon's birthday is 02/28/1948 and is 74 years old. Claudia's ethnicity is Caucasian, whose political affiliation is currently a registered . 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 . Claudia is a Special Assistant to the Director of the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP). In 2004, she was named secretary of the Board for the Lexington Board of Directors. At the time, she was in the care of her elder sister Mildred Taylor, a teacher. Gordon is a native of Jamaica, graduate of Howard University, and graduate of the American Universitys Washington College of Law.Risa Jaz Rifkind, Member, National Council on DisabilityRisa Jaz Rifkind is a justice advocate who seeks to make change by shifting access to power and influence. She currently serves as the Senior Accessibility Strategist with T-Mobile US, Inc. The NAD operates on a shoe-string budget and the law center staff fluctuates from two to four full time attorneys working tirelessly to keep pace with incoming discrimination claims and requests for technical assistance from among the 36 million deaf and hard of hearing individuals in America. 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. Get to know her by reading this post. You have JavaScript disabled. He graduated from Temple University with his MSW in 1988 after receiving his BSW from Edinboro University. This discrimination is what inspired her to become a lawyer. Daily Practice In 2021, Governor Wolf appointed him to serve on the State Board of Vocational Rehabilitation. See Claudia L Gordon's compensation, career history, education, & memberships. Senior Accessibility Strategist at T-Mobile . Texas Zero Property Tax Bill Has Extreme, Discriminatory Catches, Eurovision 2023 Tickets Announced on Ticketmaster, Celebrating Womens History With Qiu Jin, Chinese Revolutionary, The Penguin Tells a Batverse Scarface Story. Claudia L. Gordonwas born in Jamaica. With no doctor on duty, the nurse couldnt figure out what was wrong, only that Claudia was going deaf. Claudia Gordon is a lot of things. Born in Jamaica, Claudia became deaf at age 8. Claudia Gordon is the third featured guest in the Council on Women and Girls: Meet the Women of the Administration series. She didn't believe she was deaf because she had been reading peoples lip and thought she was hearing their voice. Log in or sign up for Facebook to connect with friends, family and people you know. Secretary Hilda Solis has laid out a pretty straightforward mission for our department: Good Jobs for Everyone. 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. 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. 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. To be honest, I dont. Rifkind received a B.A. While working with impoverished and minority deaf people, she became attracted to the prospect of working in a Federal office. This political appointment made Gordon the first deaf person to work at the White House in a detailee capacity. As the Director of Civic Engagement and Marketing for Disability Lead, she propels the organization to realize its vision to have people with disabilities lead with power and influence. During the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, Voorde served as an Associate Director with the University of Notre Dames Sara Bea Center for Students with Disabilities. 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. 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 . Log In. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission", "InfoGuides: SOCI 240 Deaf Culture: Popular Magazines", "Google Paints Stunning Portraits of Disability Rights Heroes on Washington, D.C. Steps", "National Disability Mentoring Coalition (NDMC)", "Claudia Gordon's Appointment as Public Engagement Advisor at the White House | News", "AAPD Applauds Appointment of Claudia Gordon as Public Engagement Advisor at the White House", "Claudia L. Gordon, Esq. Growing up, I witnessed her hard work and sacrifices as she struggled to raise my two siblings and me, all on her own, deep in the rural countryside of Jamaica, W.I. 2022 American Bar Association, all rights reserved. YOU HAVE 20,000 FOLLOWERS: $100 per post at a $5/CPM. She was given some antibiotics but she eventually became deaf. By the time she reached her junior year in high school, Gordon knew that she wanted to become a lawyer. In 2004, she was named secretary of the Board for the Lexington Board of Directors. Claudia Gordon is the first female African American deaf lawyer in the United States. This is long overdue. After becoming deaf, Gordon experienced discrimination in Jamaica as deaf and disabled persons are stigmatized. She is also the first deaf person to work at the White House in an detailee capacity. February 29, 2016 by Sue Ann Rodriquez 1 Comment. American University Washington College of Law, American University, Washington College of Law, United States Department of Homeland Security, Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, American Association of People with Disabilities, United States Secretary of Homeland Security, List of first women lawyers and judges in the United States, "Employee Spotlight: Disability Awareness Starts with All of Us and Benefits All of Us TMobile Newsroom", "Meet the Women of the Administration: Claudia Gordon", "Claudia Gordon: America's First Deaf Black Woman Lawyer is Jamaican Born", "Claudia Gordon: 1st African American Female Deaf Lawyer", "NCD Applauds Appointment of Claudia Gordon as Public Engagement Advisor at the White House", "Skadden Fellows | Skadden Fellowship Foundation", "Disability Rights Campaigner, Claudia Gordon, joins DeafKidz International as Global Ambassador", "Trustee Appointed to White House Office of Public Engagement", "President Obama Announces Presidential Delegation to Attend the Opening Ceremony of the 2016 Paralympic Summer Games", "Previous AAPD Paul G. Hearne Emerging Leader Award Recipients", "| U.S. Claudia Gordon. OFCCP recently published an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) seeking input from the public on ways to strengthen regulations for implementing Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act, which requires Federal contractors to take affirmative action to employ and to advance in employment qualified individuals with disabilities. Shortly thereafter, Claudia's mother brought her to the United States in search of opportunities for her daughter. 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. [11], After law school, Gordon was awarded a two-year fellowship with Skadden Fellowship Foundation. 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. November 1st, 2016 Some cited my deafness as an obstacle rendering it impractical if not impossible to pursue a law degree. My mother taught me that we all control our own destiny and should never become victims of our circumstances. [18], Gordon has been active in both the black deaf community and the cross disability community. Required fields are marked *. She was deaf at the age of eight. So I wanted to highlight Claudia L. Gordon, the first known deaf black American woman to earn aJuris Doctor. Gordon shared her ongoing quest to create spaces in society for seldom-heard voices in her TEDx Talk: Owning Otherness.[35]. During the Obama-Biden Administration, Gordon served as the Chief of Staff for the U.S. Department of Labors Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs and the Associate Director of Public Engagement for the White House Office of Public Engagement.Adding to Gordons professional expertise is her lived experience as an immigrant at the intersections of race, disability, and gender, which is the foundation for the strong emphasis on disabled individuals with multiple marginalized identities that she brings to her work. /content/aba-cms-dotorg/en/groups/diversity/disabilityrights/initiatives_awards/spotlight/gordon_c. In 1988, Braddy was hired as CEO of the Center for Independent Living of Central Pennsylvania, where he served for over 30 years. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Now she is able to correct these misperceptions, and ensure that the needs of the disability community are considered when government entities create their emergency preparedness plans. Many shrugged off my grand intention as wishful thinking. Your email address will not be published. Claudia remembers how she was treated in Jamaica after going deaf. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Notre Dame, a Masters of Education from the University of Notre Dame, and a Masters of Public Policy in Education from Vanderbilt University. 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. What has been your favorite moment since youve been working for the Department of Labor? Born in Providence, RI #12. The White House As the first deaf black female attorney in the United States, Claudia Gordon recounts her childhood in the West Indies, her search for identity while grappling with audism in a hearing college, and her ongoing quest to create spaces in society for seldom-heard voices. grew up in Jamaica, and when she went deaf at the age of eight, she was pulled from school because it was believed that her disability prevented her from learning. She works at the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs and has. Claudia L. Gordon is Director of Government and Compliance with T-Mobile Accessibility a Business Unit within T-Mobile that offers communication products and services to reduce or eliminate communication barriers for customers with disabilities. Claudia Gordon was born in rural Jamaica. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. I'm delighted by the growing 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. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology from Brigham Young University,Theo W. Braddy, Member, National Council on DisabilityTheo W. Braddy has advocated on behalf of people with disabilities for over 40 years. Love Island 2023 star Claudia finds herself confronting Casey yet again (Image: ITV/REX/Shutterstock). She wanted to have direct involvement in the enforcement of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the American with Disabilities Act of 1990, combating in order to make sure that the laws were really being utilized to help those who needed it the most. I Need To Know What 'Very Bland' Opinion Got J.K. Rowling Kicked Out of a Harry Potter Forum, Disney Found a Way To Make Us Care About Peter Pan Again, 'The Mandalorian' Makes It Pretty Clear Where Gina Carano's Cara Dune Went, 'Quantumania' Writer Shares Painful Thoughts on All the Negative Reviews, Is Grogu Related to Yoda? How Long Will Joe Goldbergs Rampage Be Left Unchecked? One problem we still find is that those who create emergency preparedness plans need to realize that the disability community is not homogeneous. Join Facebook to connect with Claudia Kordon and others you may know. After a year in service, she was appointed as an attorney advisor and later promoted to senior policy advisor for the United States Department of Homeland Security, Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties. 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. She is also a Member of Disability Lead. Claudia L. Gordon is the first deaf African-American female attorney in the United States. 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. At the age of 74, she is still teaching today. Many shrugged off my grand intention as wishful thinking. She suddenly lost her sense of hearing at the age of eight. 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. [2] Prior to joining the telecom industry, Gordon held various roles in the public sector from 2002 to 2017most notably as the associate director in the White House Office of Public Engagement, where she advised White House offices and senior officials including former President Barack Obama on disability issues. - Gallaudet University", "Centene Diversity & Inclusion | People With Disabilities", "CDT Project on Disability Rights & Algorithmic Fairness Advisory Committee", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Claudia_L._Gordon&oldid=1140822421, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, DeafKidz International, Global Ambassador, Centene National Disability Advisory Council, Center for Democracy and Technology Project on Disability Rights & Algorithmic Fairness, Advisory Committee, This page was last edited on 21 February 2023, at 23:32. 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. 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. [13], Notably, Gordon was deployed to Baton Rouge, Louisiana following Hurricane Katrina in 2005 where she served as the disability and elderly populations civil rights subject matter expert at the Joint Field Office (JFO). At 11, she moved to the United States and attended Lexington School for the Deaf in New York. She took her to a clinic and healers, to no avail. Claudia L. Gordon, Esq. Assistant Secretary of Labor for Disability Employment Policy Kathleen Martinez. 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. She was also active in sports, student organizations, and community activities. [3][4], Gordon was born in St. Mary, Jamaica in March 1972.[5]. Team Zutara forever. - Gordon, Obama White House, 30 August 2010[5]. A. degree from Howard University . [3][8], It was in high school when Gordon knew she wanted to be a lawyer, with the discrimination she experienced in Jamaica as her inspiration. Claudia Gordon a trailblazer who reminds us that immigrants, they get the job done. Her mother immigrated to the South Bronx, in New York, so that she could earn a better living, and planned to reunite with her children as soon as she could. [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. Get to know her by reading this post. 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. When she graduated from the school in 2000, she became the first known deaf black American woman to earn a Juris Doctor. She currently works in the U.S. Department of Labors Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs. Its always a joy when I get to work closely with my boss, OFCCP Director Patricia A. Shiu. Find where to watch Claudia L. Gordon's latest movies and tv shows https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/09/30/president-biden-announces-key-appointments-to-boards-and-commissions-9/?utm_source=link, Office of the United States Trade Representative. 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.