Mary Beth Barber

A former Miss Deaf New York and Miss Deaf America (1982-1984), now married and known as Mary Beth Barber-Mothersell, she earned her bachelor's degree in social work at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), graduating in 1985. She went on to earn her master's degree in social work at Syracuse University, where she was awarded a Master's Prize. Barber-Mothersell is a Licensed Master Social Worker in New York State. She is a member of the National Association of the Deaf and was a Member at Large of the NTID Alumni Association (1993-98). In 2005, she made a public service announcement (PSA) for the NY Relay Service aimed at informing hearing-abled people to not think that a relay service operator is a telemarketer and then hang-up when a hearing-impaired person may be attempting to call them. In 2006, she was recognized by the Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA) as the Community Person of the Year. In 2008, she received a national Advocacy "Focus on People" award from Octicon,