Volunteers With Disabilities

Vinnie Coleman, nurse assistant who is deaf

Vinnie Coleman

Imagine the excitement and the stress of mapping out the path to becoming a certified health care professional—the lectures, the tests and the practical experience of working with patients. Now imagine undertaking this journey without being able to hear. Overwhelming?

"It was fun," insists 36-year-old Melvin "Vinnie" Coleman. "I had an ecstatic experience. The interpreters were skilled, my classmates were supportive and the teachers were good. I learned quite a bit."

Vinnie, now employed as a nurse assistant at Keithley House in Cleveland, lost his hearing in his late teens. As a result, he is skilled in lip-reading and in American Sign Language (ASL). His decision to pursue a career in the health care field came from a desire to help others and also a need to pave the way for other individuals who are deaf or hearing impaired.

"I am sure there were many people who came before me who haven't been recognized," Vinnie states. "However, I believe it is important to make people aware that the American Red Cross can help this population to gain access to the necessary resources to succeed in the Nurse Assistant Training program."

Vinnie admits there were some hurdles along the way, but not all of them had to do with his deafness. Since the program has traditionally been more popular with female students, Vinnie also became an ambassador for men interested in pursuing the training. However, his deafness did play a significant role, since being in class with an interpreter made him "different."

"I try to find ways to make myself fit in and not feel inferior because of my disability," he explains. "I was not always deaf, and I am aware of the stereotype that exits-people think because you are deaf, you can't speak, can't think and can't contribute to society."

Vinnie relates an example that helped him work through these barriers. As he sat in class one day, he could tell that the interpreter had "goofed," and he spoke up to ask a question. His ability to speak, clearly and concisely, surprised the class, and that, in turn, surprised him. "They really didn't know I could speak, which amazed me. It was funny." After that day, the students found Vinnie to be friendly and non-threatening, despite his disability.

An opera buff who can speak five languages, Vinnie has also found that his chosen career has been enhanced in some ways by his hearing disability. His ability to communicate in non-verbal ways has enabled him to bond very easily with the patients. This can be more difficult for a traditional, hearing nursing assistant.

"I love to communicate with people and learn what they have to say," Vinnie notes. "Even though I can't hear, I can still appreciate the human voice."

Vinnie's long-term goal is to become a registered nurse, so he can "comfort anyone, anywhere as much as I can, especially those that society overlooks." He says he is grateful to the Greater Cleveland Chapter for providing him the opportunity to express himself in a different way through his Nurse Assistant Training.