Jason Williams

Staff, Facilties Management, Agricultural Campus

I was quite surprised when some students came up to me and said, ‘Hi, good morning! How are you?’ in sign language.

I challenge myself every day to do my job as good as a hearing person can do. When students heard about me being deaf at this campus, I was quite surprised when some students came up to me and said, “Hi, good morning! How are you?” in sign language. I was pleased and I asked them how they learned to sign. Students wave every day when I am around. They’re quite shy and then a few weeks later they come around and jump out of their comfort zone by greeting me.

I love playing darts and I am a member of the Nova Scotia Deaf Dart Association & The Horseman Club. I am involved in the Canadian Deaf Dart Championship every two years across Canada including the Atlantic Deaf Dart Association every second year. I am involved in a lot of events and take part in fundraisers for our N.S.D.D.A.

I grew up in Birmingham, England. I went to normal schools with a deaf unit for support for my needs. I learned sign language called British Sign Language. I lived in Birmingham, which is a very large city with buses, trains, cars and more.

I wanted to be a firefighter and follow in my father’s footsteps. In 1991, we left England to come to live in Canada. When I turned 19, I lived in rural Cape Breton and joined the West Bay Road Volunteer Fire Department. I was so proud to follow in my father’s footsteps. Most of my community knew me so well. I was the First Deaf Fire Fighter in Nova Scotia and my name was in the newspaper. I was also awarded Firefighter of the Year in 1999. I also had to learn American Sign Language when I moved to Canada.

Our Dean, David Gray, puts a smile on my face when I see him around. He always shakes hands and tells me to have a good day. Students always put a smile on my face, and I tell them to have a good day. I try to make the students more welcome and feel comfortable living on campus. Some of them know some sign language to communicate with me and that makes me smile.

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