Great to meet you!

I go by "Dr. Bill."
My students also sometimes call me "Dr. V" or "Dr. Vicars."  (Hey, I'm flexible.)

I am director of Lifeprint Institute, a consultation business focusing on technology-enhanced delivery of ASL Instruction, excursion-based instruction (trips to amusement parks), occasional "hyper-immersions" (intense one-week, semi-private, residency-based immersions), and occasional "ASL Linguistics" and/or "Train the ASL Trainer" workshops.  Lifeprint is the sponsor of ASL University (an online ASL resource center located at Lifeprint.com) and a few other online resources. For many years I was a full-time, tenured, (full) Professor of American Sign Language and Deaf Studies at California State University, Sacramento (a.k.a. "SacState").  

A few questions and answers about me:

Question: Are you Deaf?
Answer:  Yes.  I was born hard-of-hearing and as time goes on I become more and more physically Deaf.  I live in the Deaf World. I married a Deaf woman, work in the field of Deaf-Studies, hang out with people who can sign, use close-captioning (or subtitles) when I watch videos, seek out open captioned movies, watch the news in ASL, lived at Gallaudet during an internship (Benson Hall), have a daughter who attended the Utah School for the Deaf preschool program, have a text-only (no-voice minutes) phone, and devote my time to developing ASL-related resources for others.   

Question: Are you a member of the "Deaf Community?"

Answer: Yes.  I've lived my life serving in Deaf organizations, setting up Deaf events, working with other Deaf, teaching ASL, teaching Deaf Studies, etc.)  I met my wife ("Bee" -- who is Deaf too) at a Deaf church. Our youngest child, Sarah (our fourth) was born with a substantial hearing loss due to having Aperts (a rare syndrome) attended the Utah State School for the Deaf pre-school program. Almost all of my close friends and associates are either Deaf or strongly tied to the Deaf Community.

Question: Are you certified?

Answer: I hold a doctorate in Deaf Education / Deaf Studies from an accredited university (Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas). I also hold a Master of Deaf Education degree from Lamar university. As far as I know, I was the first person from Utah to become ASLTA certified. I was a member of ASLTA back when they were still S.I.G.N. (Sign Instructors Guidance Network).

Forgive this next bit of information (I share it because some people want to know their instructor's qualifications).

Some of my current and/or past experiences and other qualifications include:
- Decades of experience as a university-level ASL instructor including workshops presented internationally
- Authored and self-published "Sign Me Up!"  
(Which was a really cool 212-page ASL Guide and activity book that sold out all 3,000 copies. Eventually I turned it into the Lifeprint website.)
- Directed an 18-month Interpreter Training program (twice)
- Co-chaired the Disability Law Center's Consumer Advisory Council (UT)
- Served a term as an elected board member of the Utah Association for the Deaf
- Set up and directed a not-for-profit a 501(c)(3) organization to improve Deaf access to services (the precursor to ASL University)
- Served many years as advisor to the Sign Language Association (ASL Club) at Weber State University (an award winning organization)

Yadda, yadda, yadda... and a bunch of other fun stuff. 

For around two decades I taught in the ASL and Deaf Studies Program at California State University, Sacramento.  In addition to the basics I also taught a spectrum of advanced Deaf Studies courses and topics including ASL linguistics, Classifiers (depictive signing), and special topics like "Medical Signing," "Technology Signs," etc. I served quite a few years as the "Program Coordinator."  Don't let the "coordinator" title impress you.  At the time it was just code for "work harder with no extra pay."

My wife, Bee, also teaches ASL.
(She's probably a better ASL teacher than I am -- but at least I tell better jokes.) 
[Update: She's gotten funnier over the years and now tells better jokes too. Dang.]

She was born deaf as a result of the rubella epidemic of ____.  
I deleted the year for safety reasons. (My safety.  She might kill me while I sleep if I go around telling people her age.)   She attended a day-program for the Deaf in Bakersfield, California.  She learned ASL prior to learning how to talk.  She has taught college ASL classes and numerous community education ASL courses for many years.  She's a wonderful mom, and is rumored to be a great cook. Once in a while I let her beat me in Scrabble. (It is good for her self-esteem.)

People ask us if our (four) children are Deaf.
I tell them my kids are "hard of listening" (heh).  [That isn't a technical term folks.]

Actually, the youngest, Sarah, is Deaf (hh).  She also has Apert's syndrome. She is a bundle of joy and energy. (She's a brave, spunky kid I'll tell you.)   She attended the Utah State School for the Deaf pre-school day-program.  [Update: Somehow she grew up and currently she alternates between working, attending college, and creating art.]

Bee and I share a home in Sacramento, California with several small furry creatures, (that's pets. The pets are furry, not the kids).

- William G. Vicars, EdD.