UTRGV American Sign Language Interpretation Program

Healthcare should never make Deaf patients feel invisible.

Work with Deaf patients. Do not assume. Not every Deaf person uses ASL, so ask what their preferred communication method is. Most importantly, involve them in their own care.

Make eye contact. Speak directly to the patient, not the interpreter. Give them the same respect, communication access, and understanding every patient deserves.

Check out our program coordinator, Dr Cheslik, who will be on a panel discussing Deaf and Hearing collaboration in the performing arts!!

👋 Another Kind of Dialogue: A Symposium on Deaf and Hearing Collaboration in Theatre - May 23-24, 2026

In conjunction with the National New Play Network () Rolling World Premiere of L M Feldman's Another Kind of Silence, The VORTEX is hosting Another Kind of Dialogue: A Symposium on Deaf and Hearing Collaboration in Theatre – a series of panel discussions that explores the challenges and rewards of deaf and hearing artists working together in theatre and presentations of new work by deaf and hard of hearing artists 🎭

👉 Featured conversations with artists include a panel on the process of creating Another Kind of Silence including playwright L M Feldman (), our director, MoMo Holt () , who has been directly involved in the development of the play over several years; Kim Weild () , the director of City Theatre’s (Pittsburgh) () production of Another Kind of Silence and City Theatre Artistic Director Clare Drobot () .

We will also feature a larger discussion of deaf and hearing collaboration with Brian Cheslik (), Artistic Director of Deaf Austin Theatre (), Lisa Scheps (), Artistic Director of Ground Floor Theatre (), and Michael Baron (), Artistic Director of Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma ().

Our symposium also features TL Fosberg’s () Between Two Worlds, a solo show about Fosberg’s experience as a hard of hearing artist, and a reading of Philoctetes, a new Deaf Culture adaptation in spoken English and American Sign Language by playwright Garrett Zuercher (), directed by Kerry Cooler (). We hope this symposium will serve to inspire other theatre makers to seek out partners and work together to expand our ideas about what makes innovative and accessible theatre.

💫 FREE EVENT - Donations Welcome - Full Schedule and RSVP HERE - https://vortexrep.org/38-another-kind-of-dialogue