Written by Ben Cox – A recent transplant to Brown County, Renee Fraze is an advocate for an often underserved community.

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An avid interest in sign language at an early age led Fraze to discover the deaf community and shaped her life’s trajectory and career.

“I grew up in Hillsboro, and there was one family that had a daughter who was deaf. She went to school in Austin at Texas School for the Deaf. On the weekends she’d be bussed home, and she and I would sit at football games and we did more sign language than watching football. I was always interested in it and drawn to it. She was a very patient loving soul who took the time to share with me her language.”

Attending Stephen F Austin for a major in theatre, Fraze was shocked to discover American Sign Language, or ASL was not offered as a second language. “I went to the dean of the theatre department over and over and over until he finally said ‘please just go take a sign language class and we’ll see what we can do!’ After one class, I changed my major! I was hooked!”

A certified interpreter since 2005, Fraze has also done freelance work with organizations who need an interpreter before that time.

After only a few months in Brownwood, moving with her family from Mansfield, Fraze has made some inroads into connecting with the local deaf community, as well as launching a ministry at her church. After a social event for deaf people at Rancho Pizza in Coleman, Fraze says the idea for a ministry was born. “I asked if I could join them , and told them I was new to the area and wanted to be able to continue to use my skills. When I explained I moved here in connection to my husband’s role as the lead pastor of our church, they asked if I interpret on Sundays and I said that I could and they were welcome to come.”

Signing nearly every week since for the non-traditional service at FUMC, one local deaf person, Mike Howard has become a member of the church, and even spoken to the congregation through Fraze. Howard said in a service not too long ago that it almost “felt like there was no place for deaf people to come to church, like we weren’t allowed.”

The word interpreter is used because, contrary to popular opinion, ASL is not English as the hearing world knows it. “Someone asked me about the ‘funny faces’ that an interpreter makes, but that’s part of the language, it’s part of the grammar. You show the adverbial effect of those kinds of things. It has a totally different grammar and syntax than English. It’s not translating, not word for word. We go for concept, match the meaning, that’s why it’s called interpreting.”

Fraze, who has her Masters of Education for Interpreting from Northeaster University in Boston Massachusetts, taught “for three years in Arlington ISD at Martin High School and before that in Waxahachie for two years. I actually started their program.” Fraze spoken to Brownwood ISD as well as Howard Payne about introducing ASL as a second language, however neither institution is prepared to offer it at this time.

“I spoke to Dr Joe Young who told me that a poll of the students on whether they would attend a class on coding or ASL led the school to offer coding at this time, because coding is also another language, it’s computer language, but still a language.”

Fraze says one thing that may surprise hearing people who have had little to no contact with the deaf world, is that “they’re actually an oppressed culture. They are a culture because they share a language, and values, and common experiences in growing up and education. It’s not only that they are a small, tight knit community, but they’re a culture too. There are times when there will be a ‘deaf chat’ or ‘signing social’ for the deaf to come together and share their language.”

Fraze says she plans to offer an informal introductory class at the church very soon for anyone interested in American Sign Language. The Common Ground Service, which Fraze interprets for, is held in the Christian Life Center of the First United Methodist Church at 10:40 Sunday mornings.

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