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Barbara Babbini Brasel

Agatha T. Hanson

Nancy G. Bloom Rarus

Advocate, Activist, Educator, and Administrator

Nancy holding Deaf Mother of the Year 2007 Award and Bonquet of flowers at the party

On January 29, 1943 Nancy Bloom was born deaf to 3rd generation deaf parents and one young deaf brother, Alan and hailed from New Jersey. After graduating from New Jersey School for the Deaf in 1958, she attended Gallaudet University and CSUN in Education Administration and Supervision with BA in 1962 and MA in 1974, respectfully.

Right after her college graduation, Nancy secured a first job as teacher at ASD for 15 years. As she was married to Frank Rarus, she had two children, Tim and Kim. While she taught at ASD she pioneered with another deaf leaders to establish CT Council Organizations Serving the Deaf in 1960 and became first secretary of the newly organization. Also she founded Sign Language Instructors Pool in 1976.

Obviously she was like her father as he was a first president of NJ Association of the Deaf.

Nancy moved to Arizona in 1977 since she was appointed as principal at Arizona School for the Deaf for 11 years. She received another job offer as principal at the Kendall Demonstration Elementary School in 1991 after she taught at the Gallaudet University in the Education Department for one year.

Meanwhile she has been actively involved in the NAD during 1970s and served on the NAD Board for one term since 1980. Most Deaf NAD members who frequently attended the NAD conferences knew her very well and respected her regular habit to retire very early to her hotel room after supper time in spite of debates that often occured all night during the delegates and committees' sessions. Nancy participated as active member of various committees in Arizona and Virginia.

"I guess that we all need to have good self-esteem and confidence in doing what we think will help. This gender issue has been around for thousands of years and I'm afraid it will be around for a long while. I must say that I do see many men changing."

~ quoted by Nancy Rarus about Deaf women leaders

Nancy was Associate Executive Director for Programs for NAD during which time she helped formulated the National Interpreter Certification and served as YLC director for several summers until her retirement in 2003.

As she is twice divorced, she remains single. As she was asked to offer her advise for Deaf women who had similar experience about how she felt being twice divorced, she replied that"... time does heal all wounds."

Thanks to her strong influence about activism, her son Tim was one of four student leaders who led the "Deaf President NOW" rally in Washington, DC in 1988.

Her accomplishments are as follows:
Featured in the Series # 112 of March 1986 on an Emmy Award winning “Deaf Mosiac” as aired on The Discovery Channel and sometimes seen on PBS station. Distinguished Service Award in 1999 by Virginia Association of the Deaf (VAD) 2007 Deaf Mother of the Year by VAD

At present, Nancy is serving her last term on the Board of Deaf Seniors of America as secretary. Also, she is an active member of her church and was elected to continue her new term as Secretary for Virginia Association of the Deaf at its latest state conference.