Individuals who dedicate themselves to improving the lives of others tend to find it a most rewarding endeavor. This has been the case for Mary Wright, an American Sign Language interpreter who has been in the business for over 40 years.
Wright earned her degree in sign language interpreting from Waubonsee Community College in Illinois, graduating from the program alongside four other students in 1978. At the time, Waubonsee was the only college in Illinois that offered a degree in sign language interpreting. Wright then worked as an interpreter at Hinsdale South High School in Darien, Illinois. Wright went on to earn another bachelor’s degree in general education and a master’s degree in business management.
Wright worked with the Chicago Hearing Society while she pursued her studies, interpreting for clients in everyday situations such as doctor’s appointments. She went on to direct Waubonsee’s RSA OSERS grant for 12 years, ensuring deaf and hard-of-hearing students had the interpreters and other resources that they needed. Wright also served as the president of The Conference of Interpreter Trainers for two years. In 1999, the year the Americans with Disabilities Act passed, Wright joined the protesters in Springfield to advocate for the rights of individuals with disabilities. Wright has also worked frequently with the Catholic Office of the Deaf at St. Francis Borgia Church in Chicago throughout her career.
Even though she is now semi-retired, Wright continues to work as a part-time contractor for Sorenson Communications, a company that provides video relay services for people who are deaf and hard of hearing. As she looks back over her career, Wright said her desire to learn sign language emerged a couple of years before she entered college.
“When I finished high school, I worked for a short time at Harris Bank, which had a number of deaf employees,” she said. “Back then, a lot of deaf adults who were older than me were working at the bank. I'd see them signing at lunch and it struck me that I wanted to learn sign language and use it to communicate.”
Wright also attributes her choice in career to the fact that she grew up with a father who was deaf. Her father, who attended the Pennsylvania School for the Deaf and earned a degree in printing and engineering at the Carnegie Institute of Technology, served in administrative roles at a number of major printing firms in New York and Chicago.
“My dad did not use sign language,” Wright said. “He became deaf through illness at the age of 7, so he had very normal speech. With assistance, he could hear through bone conduction. As I was growing up, my dad could hear with his hearing aid, so my normal was not sign language but speech.”
As Wright looks back over her four-decade-long career as an interpreter, she is left with a deep sense of thankfulness for the people she has encountered and the things she has experienced.
“I have such gratitude and respect for the deaf community, having received their trust in such intimate areas of their lives,” she said. “I'm so grateful that I've been able to interpret all these years, learn from the deaf community, and witness the growth of such a profession.”
When she isn’t working, Wright finds other ways to get involved. She participates in a writing group sponsored by the Lubeznik Center for the Arts in Michigan City. Wright has been writing for about 10 years and primarily writes experiential nonfiction, short stories, and poetry.
Wright has also worked closely with the Michigan City Chamber Music Festival. One summer several years ago, Sue Spitler, then one of the festival’s board members, asked Wright to house one of the musicians during the festival. Wright would go on to open her home to more of the musicians over the years and became so involved with the festival that she served as its interim president this year. Wright has a great affection for the Chamber Music Festival and feels that it is an important part of Michigan City’s culture.
“These concerts bring harmony and healing to the community,” she said. “The beauty, the quality, the emotions—I just think it's extraordinary.”
In her semi-retirement, Wright relaxes by writing and walking on nature paths or along the lakeshore with her rescue dog Harley. She always looks forward to making her annual trip to the Jasper-Pulaski Fish and Wildlife Area in Medaryville, Indiana to watch the migration of the sandhill cranes.