Soon, I’ll be sitting in the audience watching my daughter graduate.
It should be one of the proudest moments of my life.
But I won’t know when her name is called.
I won’t hear the announcement.
I won’t know when she’s about to walk across the stage unless someone tells me.
Not because I’m not paying attention.
Because there will be no interpreter.
This isn’t about me asking for something extra. It’s about being able to experience my daughter’s graduation the same way every hearing parent can.
Graduation is one of the most important milestones in a student’s life. Families come together to celebrate years of hard work, perseverance, and achievement.
Yet every year, many schools still overlook communication access.
If you know a Deaf student is graduating, or a Deaf parent, grandparent, or family member will be attending, accessibility should already be part of the planning.
Too often, schools wait until the last minute, ask families if they can arrange an interpreter themselves, or don’t ask at all.
That isn’t inclusion.
Accessibility is the school’s responsibility, not the family’s.
Parents should not have to spend the weeks leading up to graduation trying to educate staff about interpreters or scrambling to find one. They should be focused on celebrating their child.
And when an interpreter is provided, the planning often misses the mark.
I’ve seen interpreters placed in dark corners where they can barely be seen. Hidden behind podiums. Standing far from the stage. Poorly lit. Positioned where Deaf people must constantly choose between watching the graduate or watching the interpretation.
An interpreter is not an afterthought.
Interpreter placement matters.
Lighting matters.
Sightlines matter.
If schools spend months planning seating, flowers, music, photography, and stage decorations, they can spend time planning accessibility too.
Ask these questions early:
- Will Deaf parents, students, or family members be attending?
- Have qualified interpreters been booked?
- Where will they stand so they are clearly visible?
- Is the lighting adequate?
- Can Deaf guests comfortably see both the stage and the interpreter?
- Are all speeches and announcements interpreted?
- Are videos captioned?
These are not special accommodations.
They are part of making graduation accessible.
And please, stop expecting Deaf families to educate you every single year.
It is exhausting.
We shouldn’t have to explain why interpreters matter, where they should stand, or why accessibility cannot be an afterthought.
By graduation day, we should simply be parents.
Watching our children.
Celebrating their success.
Sharing in every moment.
Soon, my daughter will cross that stage.
I’ll be proud beyond words.
But I’ll also be reminded that, despite all the conversations about inclusion, I’ll miss one of the simplest moments every hearing parent takes for granted:
Hearing their child’s name called.
