Marta Ordaz
Office Coordinator - San Leandro Office
DCARA
Education
Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Work
Gallaudet University, 1979
Marta Ordaz was born in San Luis Potosi, Mexico and emigrated to California at the age of 5 with her parents. Spanish was her first language through her residual hearing. She currently speaks Spanish, not fluently, but proficient enough to have a conversation.
Ms. Ordaz attended public schools until she was 16 years old when she attended the California School for the Deaf in Berkley and learned sign language for the first time. After she graduated from CSDB, in June 1972, she attended community colleges until she eventually attended Gallaudet University.
After graduating from Gallaudet University, she joined the DCARA staff. Ms. Ordaz held several positions within the organization before she became its Latino Coordinator as it was her passion to work with the Latino Deaf and Hard of Hearing.
One of her most biggest achievements was when she advocated the Deaf and Disabled Telecommunication Program (DDTP) to provide English to Spanish relay services through DCARA's Latino Program for those who did not possess Spanish language due to their deafness but came from Spanish speaking families. Today such service is provided by Sprint.
Ms.
Ordaz has served on numerous committees and boards. She served on the
National Hispanic Council of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing board of directors
from 1992 to 1996 and as vice president of the California Latino Council of the
Deaf and Hard of Hearing since 1996.