About DB-TIP

DeafBlind Training, Interpreting & Professional Development (DB-TIP) is dedicated to advancing inclusion and equity by providing high-quality, culturally responsive interpreting services and professional training.

We empower individuals, organizations, and communities to communicate effectively and build environments where Deaf and DeafBlind individuals can fully participate and thrive.

An interpreter signing expressively on stage at a performance, seen from the audience.

Our History

Since 2007, DB-TIP has proudly served Deaf and DeafBlind communities. While our primary base is New York City, we maintain a nationwide network spanning all regions of the United States, as well as international connections.

Our owner is a nationally certified sign language interpreter and educator, holding both the Certificate of Interpretation and Certificate of Transliteration since 1996. Our Business Manager is a respected leader within the DeafBlind community and an experienced professional trainer.

In 2016, DB-TIP made history by hosting the first-ever online international conference focused on DeafBlind content, featuring DeafBlind, Deaf, and hearing experts from across the field and attracting over 400 registrants. Following this milestone, DB-TIP developed and launched the first series of web-based training modules specifically designed to enhance sign language interpreters’ knowledge and skills in DeafBlind interpreting.

Since then, DB-TIP has coordinated services for events ranging from small gatherings to large-scale conferences across diverse sectors. DB-TIP maintains dozens of ongoing contracts with institutions of higher education, New York City governmental agencies, local and national non-profit organizations, international consumer-based organizations, legal firms, and more.

Continuously evolving, DB-TIP partners with many expert DeafBlind trainers to provide the highest quality, culturally responsive services to the communities we serve.

Meet Our Team

DB-TIP consists of a team of four staff with over 85 combined years of experience in the Deaf and DeafBlind communities. As an LGBTQIA+ owned business with a Business Manager who is a leader in the DeafBlind community, DB-TIP prides itself on the importance of lived experience as it informs the quality and accuracy of the work provided. DB-TIP aims to recruit and assign interpreters who are not only the best qualified but who are also the best fit for every assignment.

Susie Morgan Morrow smiling indoors, wearing a teal top and earrings.

Susanne Morgan Morrow, MA, CI, CT

Owner · she/her/hers · Hearing-Sighted, LGBTQIA+

Susie is a nationally certified Sign Language Interpreter, interpreter educator, adjunct instructor, project director, and DeafBlind specialist. She has more than thirty years of experience providing interpreting services across a broad range of settings, including high-profile environments, rigorous academic institutions, large-scale professional conferences, and performing arts venues.

She has designed and implemented numerous professional development modules for sign language interpreters and educators specializing in DeafBlind education. She also has extensive expertise in coordinating interpreting and Co-Navigation services for events of varying scale and complexity.

Susie serves as a national trainer on topics related to communication access, the education of children who are DeafBlind, and best practices in interpreting.

Jamie Pope smiling, wearing a green top and a snowflake pendant necklace.

Jamie Pope, MS

Business Manager · she/her/hers · DeafBlind

Jamie is the former executive director of the American Association of the Deaf-Blind (AADB), a national consumer advocacy organization of, for, and by DeafBlind people. She served in this capacity for eight years, increasing the visibility of AADB and the national DeafBlind community with federal government agencies and Congress.

Before AADB, she worked as a Technical Assistance Specialist with the National Technical Assistance Consortium on Children and Youth who are Deaf-Blind (now called the National Consortium on DeafBlindness). She is a savvy consumer of interpreting services, which led her to be a critical force in establishing the National Task Force on Deaf-Blind Interpreting (NTFDBI).

Her professional accomplishments include serving as a guest speaker, trainer, facilitator, and instructor, as well as authoring professional publications. She holds a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree from The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. Jamie became DeafBlind during early childhood due to illness.

Desiree (Des) Mistretta, AA

Billing Manager · she/her/hers · Hearing-Sighted, LGBTQIA+

Des brings a diverse skill set to DB-TIP, with experience in carpentry, painting, and catering—not to mention her accomplishments as a champion boxer! At DB-TIP, she draws on her expertise in on-site logistics management and oversees incoming and outgoing invoices, as well as payments to contractors, through DB-TIP’s secure, confidential online portal.

Diane Forte

Executive Assistant · she/her/hers · Hearing-Sighted, LGBTQIA+

Diane is an experienced administrative and project management professional who thrives at the intersection of organization, communication, and operational excellence. For more than 10 years she has supported executives, faculty, and cross‑functional teams by managing complex administrative systems, coordinating large‑scale events, and delivering high‑quality customer service. Diane brings her strengths in database and records management, vendor coordination, and maintaining efficient workflows to DB-TIP operations.

“We had a last-minute event scheduled at the FIT Amphitheatre in NYC that we wanted to ensure was accessible, and DB-TIP responded without hesitation. They quickly secured an excellent interpreter who arrived on time, was highly professional, and seamlessly supported both the presenters and the AV team by clearly explaining his role and how best to capture his interpreting on stage. Despite much of the program being unscripted and Q&A-based, the interpreting was handled beautifully. DB-TIP made the process easy and ensured the event was truly accessible.”

Jennifer Hercman Executive Director, Adaptive Design Association, Inc.

Contact Us

Email: coordination@deafblindtip.org

To book interpreters or Co-Navigators, use our request form.

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