FORT WORTH, Texas — Tarrant County College ASL students turned learning into leadership this Saturday, making the Fort Worth Zoo’s third annual Deaf Day for hearing-impaired individuals and their families more inclusive and impactful. Interpreters — many of them students in TCC’s nationally recognized Sign Language Interpreting Program — were stationed across the zoo, from giraffe feedings and zookeeper chats to restaurants and gift shops, ensuring deaf and hard-of-hearing families experienced every part of the day without barriers.
“This amazing event opens the zoo to the deaf community in powerful ways,” said program Director Maureen Denner. “It’s about communication access. Our students get an invaluable opportunity to serve, and the community gets an experience designed with inclusivity at its core.”
For some students like Katie Edwards, the day carried personal meaning. An Interpreting 3 student, she grew up around the deaf community and experienced sign language as a second language. Katie’s mother taught deaf education.
Now a mom herself, Katie was eager to participate in her first Deaf Day, particularly to see children with hearing difficulties learn about animals in a fully accessible environment. She plans to graduate in spring 2026.
“Imagine going through life not able to communicate with a vast majority of the population, not able to buy a ticket without extra steps, or to ask for directions with ease,” she said. “Providing equal access to events like Deaf Day at the Fort Worth Zoo gives the deaf community the same privileges that we as a hearing community may not realize that we have. I hope accessibility becomes much easier to come by and that it will be considered the norm to have live interpreters.”
More than 6,100 visitors from across North Texas attended Deaf Day. Attendee feedback highlighted how impactful a zoo visit can be, knowing that every activity, from exhibits to animal feedings, has been designed with accessibility in mind.
“Deaf Day is made possible through our continued partnership with TCC and highlights the zoo’s commitment to accessibility,” said zoo Education Director Kathy Dorris. “This annual event has become a community tradition, offering valuable opportunities for all guests to learn about animal care and conservation.”
For TCC students, the event was more than service — it was preparation. Students gained hands-on experience that reinforced their classroom learning but also demonstrated the College’s broader mission: transforming education into opportunity and service into impact.