All about us...
Barbara Burdick
DAWN-RAFH Canada's Vice-President and British Columbia representative
Passionate about human rights, women’s rights, disability rights, and the Deaf community, Barbara is a result-oriented professional with 12 years experience with computers and with an impressive profile in the disability sector. Barbara has a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Information Systems from Gallaudet University, Washington D.C. Her strong teaching skills and technical troubleshooting skills, balanced with her strengths in communication, teamwork, and leadership, enabled her to work as a Web developer at the Jericho Hill Legacy Trust, as a contract administrative assistant at the Law Office of Barbara Findlay, as a program technician at the Sign Language Interpreter Program, and as a computer network assistant at Gallaudet University.
Barbara’s job as a barista at Starbucks presented her with an unexpected challenge, which she met by self-advocating for her human rights. Barbara, who was born deaf, claimed that the billion-dollar coffee company denied her full participation in employment because it repeatedly failed to provide her with a requested sign-language interpreter at staff meetings. In 2006, the B.C. human rights tribunal agreed to hear her case, since the coffee giant discriminated against her by failing to provide her with a sign-language interpreter for staff meetings and performance evaluations. Barbara won her human rights case against Starbucks. "I know Barbara and she’s not doing this for herself; she’s doing this because she believes it’s right for all deaf people to be equal," her mother said, adding that at least three deaf Starbucks employees work in Vancouver coffee shops.
Barbara has been active in numerous initiatives related to women, disability, and the Deaf community. She made a presentation entitled “Disabilities with Women” at Simon Fraser University (January 2008); she is the Co-Chair of the Pacific Disabled Women's Network Canada (2006 – present); she is the B.C. Representative and Vice-President of the Disabled Women's Network Canada (2005 – present); she was the President of the British Columbia Association of the Deaf (2000 – 2003); she was the Director of the Canadian Association of the Deaf (2001 – 2003), and she was a past board member of the Vancouver Deaf Sports Association.
Barbara enjoys drawing, tai chi, softball, hiking, camping, computer graphics, and reading computer books. She currently lives in Surrey, B.C., with her wonderful German shepherd mix dog.
DisAbled Women's Network Canada
Réseau d'action des femmes handicapées du Canada
110 Sainte-Thérèse Street, Suite 505 /110, rue Sainte-Thérèse, bureau 505
Montréal, QC H2Y 1E6/ Montréal (Québec) H2Y 1E6
Phone /Téléphone: 514 396-0009 (QC); Fax /Télécopieur: (514) 396-6585 (QC)
Toll free / Numéro sans frais (Canada): 1-866-396-0074
Phone the toll free number first to arrange a facsimile transmission (Canada) / Téléphonez d'abord au numéro sans frais pour organiser une transmission par télécopieur (Canada)
Email / Courriel: admin@dawncanada.net