(RED OAK, Texas) – Bill Taylor, of Dallas, is helping open doors for himself and other deaf students in Texas State Technical College’s HVAC program.
“TSTC has given me the hope and knowledge that I can do it,” he said. “It’s very important for people to know that deaf people can do the job, they can go to school, they can learn, they can do it.”
Taylor originally worked as a teacher’s assistant, aiding children in elementary school who were deaf, but decided to take his career in a new direction. He found that path when his house’s electrical systems began presenting issues, including the air conditioner.
“I haven’t really trusted a lot of people when it comes to hiring and overcharging,” he said. “I decided I would like to try and fix stuff myself.”
Even though TSTC’s HVAC program presented some communication issues for Taylor, he was met with support from interpreters, his fellow students, online resources, and the instructors, especially Bryan Dorazil.
“He actually learned basic sign language for me,” Taylor said. “Reading certain sentences is really hard, but he explains and breaks those words down so I can understand. He’s very patient with me, so it’s been awesome.”
Dorazil called Taylor a dedicated student.
“I haven’t had a student that has more drive to learn HVAC than Bill,” he said. “I am extremely proud of him and how much he has progressed since (he started the program). I look forward to seeing his success in the HVAC field.”
Taylor plans to receive his certificate of completion from TSTC’s North Texas campus in May. He hopes to work in residential HVAC and possibly own his own business one day, but he has an even more important goal.
“I really just want to be an honest person, and I really want to give TSTC a good name, (so customers) know that that’s where I graduated from and they know that HVAC technicians who come from TSTC are trustworthy,” he said.
TSTC’s Access and Learning Accommodations office offers a variety of resources to students with disabilities to aid them in their education. For more information, go to tstc.edu/access-and-learning-accommodations.
For more information on TSTC, go to tstc.edu.