Richard McCowin, NAD Vice President
Interviewer: Kelly Brakenhoff, NIC

Did you watch the interpreted press conferences in Omaha during the pandemic?

Yes, I watched the daily press conferences and appreciated them because having access to the news alleviated the Deaf Community’s fears. Interpreted news bridged the gap between the Deaf Community and the community of people who can hear. We felt more involved in what’s happening at the local and state levels by accessing these broadcasts in our language.

If it wasn’t for coronavirus, would we have had interpreters for press conferences about the Black Lives Matter protests?

You know, these times are unprecedented. This is the first time we’ve had situations like the coronavirus, COVID-19, and Black Lives Matter. If it wasn’t for coronavirus, would we have had interpreters for press conferences about the Black Lives Matter protests? I don’t know. 

You grew up here in Nebraska, did you feel white interpreters have been able to represent you well as a Black man?

I think the interpreters I’ve had in Nebraska are fine. When I was younger, one of the Omaha TV stations, WOWT, had an interpreter in the corner of the screen during their evening newscasts. The white interpreter was a CODA woman named Jan Bourne. She passed away last year I believe, she was in her 70s. Anyway, her interpreting skills were phenomenal because she was a CODA and her family was well known in Nebraska and Iowa. Watching the news through that small picture in picture screen helped me learn important issues back in the 1970’s and 1980’s. Once she moved away, the TV station didn’t replace her. Recently, with COVID-19 and BLM we finally have interpreted news again.

You’ve traveled to many states through your work with the National Association of the Deaf. You’re aware of issues in other states about white interpreters matched with people who are black and deaf. How is your experience in Nebraska compared to other regions of the US?

It depends. Here in Nebraska, the number of black deaf people is very small compared to southern states from Texas all the way through Florida and up the East coast all the way to New York. When you look at demographics in those places, there are preference issues between white interpreters and black deaf people. In the Midwest, we don’t experience those same issues because of our small population. Our greatest concern is whether the interpreters we have are fluent ASL users than whether they are interpreters of color. 

If an interpreter isn’t a person of color but is sensitive to difficult situations, then they can still be an effective interpreter in our region.

However, there are sensitive situations that arise when an interpreter needs to be aware of their own skills and knowledge. If an interpreter isn’t a person of color but is sensitive to difficult situations, then they can still be an effective interpreter in our region.

Richard McCowin, NAD Vice President, graduated from Nebraska School for the Deaf (now closed) and Gallaudet University with a bachelor of arts in psychology. For over 26 years, Richard has been employed at the US Postal Service in Omaha where he has been a union steward for the local American Postal Workers Union (APWU) and recognized for his many outstanding contributions on behalf of deaf and hard of hearing postal workers. For over 17 years, Richard taught ASL at Metropolitan Community College in Omaha and received awards for Teaching Excellence. Richard has been involved with NAD for 30 years as part of his lifelong passion for advocacy and community activity, and has held various positions in different organizations. He was the Vice President of National Black Deaf Advocates (NBDA) and Midwest Athletic Association of the Deaf (MAAD). Now, he is President Emeritus of the Nebraska Association of the Deaf (NeAD). He strongly believes that NAD is the true organization which preserves and protects the right and welfare of deaf and hard of hearing Americans. In his spare time, he enjoys reading books on non-fiction and documentary issues. He has an adult daughter, Megan.

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