Past CEO of Massachusetts, Colorado, and New Mexico Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing 
When Barbara “BJ” Wood BS ’75 was approached in 1986 by then Governor Michael Dukakis to form a state agency to advocate for deaf and hard of hearing people in Massachusetts, she told him she had to think about it. She left her desk on the 11th floor of her Boston office building and, instead of taking the elevator, walked down the 11 flights of stairs. By the time she reached the first floor, Wood decided to take on the challenge of establishing Massachusetts’ new Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. She then went on to head similar commissions in Colorado and New Mexico. Since that moment 30 years ago, Wood, who is deaf, has worked tirelessly for the deaf and hard of hearing community, admitting to even spending several nights on a sofa in the MCDHH’s office during its infancy.  
 
From lobbying legislators, addressing interpreter shortages to providing case management services, her goal has been to create better rights and access to services for deaf and hard of hearing individuals. Wood has faced many challenges over the years, most notably awareness. “I’ve had one state legislator say to me ‘Why are we still talking about interpreter shortages? Why can’t people just lip read?’” said Wood. “It’s repetitive and consistent education to the public about the needs of the [deaf] community.” 
 
Perhaps the reason Wood is so passionate about advocating for the rights of the deaf and hard of hearing population is because it was only when she came to RIT/NTID that she learned about deaf culture. “Before I came to RIT/NTID, I didn’t even know how to sign,” Wood said. “There were no laws when I was growing up saying deaf and hard of hearing individuals need adaptive resources, so I was in hearing classes without communication support throughout my entire education up to that point.” After working in an official capacity for three commissions, Wood has returned home to Massachusetts and is still working just as hard for the deaf and hard of hearing community as she had 30 years ago, organizing voter drives and continuing to lobby the state legislature. “When I start something, I need to see it through.”