McNamara, Mary Jane Anne

Born in Halifax, NS; became hard of hearing at age 3 from scarlet fever. Began attending public schools but transferred to a Catholic parochial school. Frustrations and failures led to her moving at age 9 to the Interprovincial School for the Deaf. Pulled out of the school by her parents because of physical abuse by the school staff, she went to a mainstreamed public school until 11th grade, but dropped out for lack of interpreters. In 1976, married a hearing man and in 1977 began work as an employment counselor for a social service agency. A divorce and a second partnership-without-marriage ended. She entered a rehabilitation program to kick drug and alcohol addictions and returned to school to upgrade her skills. Worked part-time jobs as a photo lab technician, ASL instructor, and tutor to several deaf preschoolers. Received a cochlear implant in 1991.