Meet the Phenomenal CHRISTINE DOWNEY

A Librarian with a Mission

By Brandi Bard and Christine Downey

Christine Downey is the Senior. Librarian at the North Torrance Branch Library. Christine is hearing impaired and has a mission. She wants people to know that the hearing-impaired person can do everything and then some. "It started when I was 8 years old, " Christine said. "The House Clinic Brothers fitted me with my first hearing aid - - it was a beautiful gold case, with a button ear mold in my ear and a long cord going to the case." That was the first time Christine heard sounds and peoples’ voices. She was given lip reading lessons and that enabled her to "SEE" what people were saying, and she "GETS" almost everything.

Then Christine's parents divorced and one of the most important decisions made for her life happened. Her mother had a court injunction, with the school district as an interested party, against her father for not speaking Greek to her in the home, knowing she was hearing impaired, learning English was paramount. Her father went to the school district and the court to make a deal. In exchange for not speaking Greek, he wanted Christine mainstreamed into the classrooms with the rest of the hearing children - - not separated into a special education class. And that as they say, is history.

Christine says, "To this day, I still hear my father saying, ‘Don't you ever use your hearing loss as an excuse not to do anything you want’,  so I have always believed that I can do anything. The words, 'it can't be done', are not used in my vocabulary." Proof of that point is her graduation from California State University, Long Beach with majors in geography and education, and a minor in history. She later graduated from USC with a Masters Degree in Library Science.

Christine did her graduate work while working full time for the City of Torrance Library Department. She has worked for the Library Department since 1968, and wants to continue until she retires in about 32 years. "I have to thank the love and support that I have had from my co-workers all these years. They are very patient, and were it not for their understanding, I could not do all that I do now."

"My mission is to educate people to understand that being hearing impaired is an insidious impairment, in that it cannot be seen. Hearing-impaired individuals do not mean to be rude - - however, you need to get their attention first, before speaking." She wears a badge that tells patrons to get her attention before speaking, and this has avoided many  misunderstandings. She has some other tips: “Always face an impaired person. Never cover your lips like you’re telling a secret in front of a hearing-impaired person - - it is rude and hurtful. Go away from the person and talk privately elsewhere. Speak slowly on the phone, remember they cannot see your face, as the person is going to have to decipher what you are saying without the aid of lip reading. The hearing-impaired person is a handy person to have around if there is a robbery and you need a witness. They have acute memory for visual detail and can even see the muscles of the mouth and eyes and can "read" people.”

“For fun", she says, "learn American Sign Language, if only just a few phrases, and you will have a friend for life, as most hearing-impaired persons appreciate what you are trying to do - - communicate with them.”

Christine's final message is this: "Communication between people is a very fragile event. Not only is it a miracle when we hear what a person says, but that we UNDERSTAND what a person is saying, that is so important."

Christine's favorite charities are the Hearing Dog programs at the SPCA and CANINE COMPANIONS FOR INDEPENDENCE.