Meet Sheila Montney, Advocacy in Action at New Directions

ASL Translation coming soon.

Behind every inclusive community is someone working tirelessly to make sure everyone belongs. At New Directions, one of those people is Sheila Montney. Sheila, Deaf Accessibility & Culture Coordinator, is a dedicated, proud voice for the Deaf, and a bright light at New Directions. Her commitment and wealth of knowledge make her a crucial part of the team. And for her, advocating for the Deaf is more than just supporting her community, it’s her purpose.

Sheila grew up in a family that was all hearing and always felt like she had one foot in the Deaf world and one foot in the hearing world. Her mother championed Sheila to have access to education and was committed to helping her learn lip reading and S.E.E. (Signed Exact English). Sheila ended up feeling more comfortable at public school and socializing with hearing kids. “I’m kind
of a cultural liaison when it comes to the Deaf and the hearing world,” she explains.

When it came time to decide what university to attend, she chose to take a big step and move to Washington D.C
to attend Gallaudet University, the only university in the world for the Deaf and hard of hearing. It was time to fully immerse herself in the Deaf world. “It was a bit of a culture shock,” Sheila describes. It was also a time for discovering new career passions. “I always thought I would be counsellor. I didn’t realize there were so many career opportunities out there for me.”

Sheila graduated with a business administration degree. Her career then took her to many different places, including advising the government in Ottawa on Deaf issues in Canada.

Today, Sheila works as a Deaf Accessibility & Culture Coordinator. It is a position that has evolved over the years. She started as an Assistant Coordinator, then Case Manager, then Acting Manager, and is now thriving in her current role. “It’s just the best fit for me,” Sheila says. Her position includes translating documents into ASL, booking and coordinating interpreters, teaching ASL, and so much more. She also assists with on site visits for home share providers of Deaf individuals to help them with resources such as accessible devices and alarms.

When it comes to Deaf culture, there is a lot of misunderstanding. If there’s any message Sheila wants to share, it’s that being Deaf isn’t one size fits all. “I think people need to stop making assumptions. Not every Deaf person knows ASL, or how to lip read. Everyone is different and has different learning styles and different methods of communication.”

“People have asked me if I wish I was hearing, but I’ve always said advocating for this community is my purpose. I was
born Deaf for a reason.”