CSUN VITA Clinic Partners with GLAD and First Citizens Bank, Expanding Service to Taxpayers Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing

With generous support from First Citizens Bank, along with trained tax preparers and interpreters who are fluent in American Sign Language, the CSUN VITA Clinic opened a new site in Los Angeles, expanding its services to clients who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing for the 2024 tax season, according to Derek Scalercio, Operations Supervisor.

Scalercio (’23, Business), is Deaf. He began working at the CSUN VITA Clinic as a volunteer tax preparer in 2023. This year, he and Cynthia Montes, a CSUN VITA Clinic coordinator, helped establish a new partnership with the Greater Los Angeles Agency on Deafness, Inc. (GLAD) to offer in-person tax preparation at the agency’s Los Angeles location. GLAD previously offered tax preparation only by Videophone and Zoom.

“We are proud to be the first VITA Clinic in Los Angeles that offers in-person service in American Sign Language,” Scalercio said.

Rafael Efrat, Director, said CSUN VITA Clinic continues to push the envelope when it comes to service to the Deaf and Hard of Hearing communities. “We are proud of our new partnership with GLAD, the largest Deaf-serving organization in L.A.”

“Many GLAD consumers express pleasure in the in-person services being available in direct ASL communication,” said Dr. Patricia Hughes, CEO of GLAD. “It benefits many consumers who are unfamiliar with the tech tools that are necessary to receive virtual services.”

Deaf and Hard of Hearing taxpayers are underserved due to communication barriers and lack of ASL-accessible providers, Hughes said, adding that the CSUN partnership helps “expand and ensure equal access” to tax preparation services.

For VITA supervisor Adelaido Navarro Jr. ’24, working at GLAD was rewarding. Navarro worked side-by-side with an ASL interpreter during 2024 tax preparation sessions, making sure to look his clients directly in the eye and not interrupt while they were signing.

“There is a lot of etiquette to consider,” Navarro said. “We want to make sure the client feels seen and they get their questions answered. Our job is to provide the most professional service, so the clients have a great experience.”

The new graduate, who will begin working as a tax associate at KPMG this fall, said he encourages future VITA students to volunteer with Deaf and Hard of Hearing clients.

“It’s wonderful,” Navarro said. “It is a blessing to be able to serve an underserved community, especially when they leave with all their questions answered and they understand their tax return, especially if they have a tax burden, we want them to know why that is. We want the clients to feel prepared for the next year and come back because they know we are in partnership with them.”

Thanks to the new partnership with GLAD, Scalercio said CSUN VITA Clinic increased the number of Deaf or Hard of Hearing clients it served in 2024 to 101, compared to approximately 25 in 2023. To serve the expanded number of clients, the Clinic worked with CSUN Deaf Studies professor Jonathan Webb to give interpreting students the opportunity to earn volunteer hours in the field.

Scalercio said clients drove long distances, from as far as Riverside County, to take advantage of in-person tax preparation in ASL at GLAD and at CSUN. “Direct ASL communication is really important to the Deaf community,” he said.

Client Samir Nehme, who is Deaf, drove 30 minutes to get his taxes prepared at GLAD by a CSUN VITA clinician. “I received CSUN VITA service at GLAD in February,” Nehme said. “I’m satisfied with the service and I would feel comfortable using the tax clinic again.”

For Scalercio, working at VITA has inspired him to pursue CPA licensure.

“VITA helped me grow in my career journey by giving me the opportunities to operate sites and learn how to manage employees who work under me,” he said. “I never got this opportunity in the past due to my deafness. I truly appreciate VITA for giving me the opportunity to show my skills and capabilities.”