William G. Vicars, Ed.D., (a.k.a. "Dr. Bill" of ASL University) is a former
full-time, tenured, full-professor, and researcher at Sacramento State
University where he served as coordinator of the American Sign Language and
Deaf Studies bachelor degree program. He is Deaf. He holds an earned
doctorate in Deaf Studies / Deaf Education from Lamar University in Texas,
and has over 30 years of experience instructing and providing workshops in a
wide variety of settings including internationally (Singapore, Guyana, etc.)
in-person and online. He is the director of Lifeprint.com -- one of the
world's most popular web destinations for learning about sign language and
Deaf people. Through his YouTube channel at https://YouTube.com/@sign-language
he shares ASL instruction with over 500,000 subscribers. He is married to
Deaf culture researcher and pundit Bee Vicars, MFA, who is also Deaf.
Hello ASL Heroes!
Great to meet you!
I'm Bill Vicars.
Many of my college or online students call me "Dr. Bill" or "Dr. V"
My folks used to call me Billy.
What my wife calls me depends on a number of factors.
I'm president and owner of Lifeprint Institute,
a consultation business focusing on technology-enhanced delivery of ASL
Instruction, excursion-based instruction (trips to amusement parks),
and extended-immersion-based program coordination (intense two-week
residencies). Lifeprint also sponsors "ASL University" which is hosted
at Lifeprint.com.
For many years I was a full-time, tenured,
full-professor of American Sign Language and Deaf Studies at California State
University, Sacramento.
I am Deaf. I was born hard-of-hearing and have become more Deaf
throughout the years. I live in the Deaf World (e.g. married to
a Deaf woman, use ASL, work in the field of Deaf-Studies, worship at a Deaf
church, hang out with Deaf friends, and devote my time to developing ASL-related resources for others,
etc.).
Forgive this next bit of information (I
share it because some people want to know their instructor's
qualifications).
Some of my degrees and
certifications (past and/or present) include:
A doctorate in Deaf Studies & Deaf Education from
Lamar University
(accredited), a masters in Deaf Education (accredited), MCSE
(Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer), MCT (Microsoft Certified Trainer),
A+ (COMPTia Computer Technician), N+ (Network Technician), former ASLTA
certification (American Sign Language Teachers Association), and "EdNet"
(Distance Education Certificate). Most of which have probably expired
(except the degrees, last I checked they don't have an expiration date).
Some of my current and/or past
experiences and qualifications include:
- Over 25 years experience as a
university-level ASL instructor
- Authored and self-published "Sign Me Up!" (A
really cool 212-page ASL Guide and activity book. Sorry, sold out all
3,000 copies--but I turned it into the Lifeprint website.)
- Directed an 18-month (accelerated) Interpreter Training Program (by
request from Davis County School District in Utah).
- Co-chaired the Disability Law Center's
Consumer Advisory Council (UT)
- Served a term as an elected board member of the Utah Association for
the Deaf
- Parent of a child who attended the Utah State
School for the Deaf pre-school program
- Set up and directed a not-for-profit a 501(c)(3) organization to improve
Deaf access to services
- Served as Advisor to the Sign Language Association (ASL Club)
at Weber State University
(an award winning organization).
- As far as I know, I was the first ASL instructor from Utah to earn
certification from the American Sign Language Teachers Association. A bit of
nostalgia for you -- way back when I first joined ASLTA they called
themselves S.I.G.N. (Sign Instructors Guidance Network).
Yadda, yadda, yadda... and a bunch
of other stuff.
For quite a few years I served as Coordinator of
the ASL and Deaf Studies
Program at California State University, Sacramento where I teach a variety
of Deaf Studies courses and topics, (ASL linguistics, Classifiers, Medical
Signing, etc.). Don't let the "Coordinator" title impress you. It
was just code for "work harder with no extra pay." My colleagues and I tend
take turns being coordinator every few years and I was glad to do my part
several times.
For ... quite a while now I've enjoyed being married to a
wonderful lady named Bee. We have four terrific orangutans, ... er, kids.
My wife also teaches ASL. She is an awesome teacher by the way.
(She probably even a better ASL teacher than I am -- but at least I tell
better jokes. Or maybe she is just being polite when she laughs? Hmmm. Gotta
think on that.) She was born deaf as a result of the
rubella epidemic of the mid 60's. (Whoopsie, gave away her approximate age. Shhhh, act
surprised if she ever mentions her age to you.) She attended a day-program for the Deaf in
Bakersfield, California. She has taught college ASL classes and numerous community
education ASL courses for many years. She's a wonderful mom, and is
rumored to be a great cook. Once
in a while I let her beat me in Scrabble (it is good for her
self-esteem).
People ask us if our children
are Deaf.
I tell them my kids are "hard
of listening" (heh). [That isn't a technical term
folks.]
The older three have normal hearing (when they want to).
They understand ASL quite well and tend to sign
when they want something.
The youngest, Sarah, is Deaf/hh. She also has Apert's syndrome. But
she is a bundle of joy and energy. (She's a brave, spunky young lady I'll tell
you.) She attended the Utah State School for the Deaf pre-school
day-program. Then she attended a program at a local charter school prior to
attending and graduating from a public high school in Sacramento and is now
in college studying metaphysics ...er... I mean the metaverse -- or
meta-something.
We share a home in Sacramento,
California
with several small furry creatures. (Pets! The pets are furry, not the kids).
