Keith Doane was born in Blaine, Minnesota but grew up in Faribault. His entire family is deaf, save for one brother who is a CODA. He and his family relocated to Faribault when Keith entered kindergarten at the Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf (MSAD). For the last two years of high school, Keith moved to California where he attended California School for the Deaf, Fremont, where he graduated from high school. He considers MSAD as his second family. “My parents wanted me to attend Metro Deaf School, but back in 1992, MDS hadn’t opened yet, so I ended up at MSAD.” One of the reasons Keith finished his high school experience in California was because he was on the ski team, and he points out that it’s difficult to develop skills in Minnesota where the hills are too small to practice on. “Minnesota doesn’t exactly have the height requirements for downhill skiing so that makes things difficult. California has mountains, so I moved there for the last two years of high school.” Upon graduation, Keith attended Gallaudet University and majored in Political Sciences with a minor in Philosophy. He then started his journey of getting a Master’s degree in Public Administration (MPA), which he is still in the process of doing.
In April 2023, Keith joined the Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing as the Director of Business Operations. His duties include checking and balancing the budget, providing tech support, improving the strategic plan, and ensuring that the Commission is on the right track business-wise.
Before joining the Commission, Keith worked for Apple as a Technical Expert with the Genius Bar at the Georgetown Apple Store. He first started working at the Georgetown store in western Washington DC before transferring to one in downtown DC. “It was a rich environment where I learned a lot about working with people. I consider myself lucky to work for Apple, as they have been accommodating in ensuring accessibility needs were met.” He shares how they always had interpreters set up for meetings, including VRI interpreting as needed. “In that job, I learned patience. I worked with customers who might not know how to interact with a Deaf person. Or maybe they do, but they don’t care? One has to choose their battles, you know? I might be working with a customer, trying to resolve their phone issue but they’re resistant to working with me. So that can be a struggle sometimes.” He adds, “Retail is never perfect. But that experience gave me the opportunity to work with people from all walks of life.” He shares how some customers would be amazing rockstars while other customers required a bit more maintenance. “95 percent of those customers were just fine - it’s the difficult ones that make it frustrating.”
He enjoyed his time with Apple, sharing that “There was always something new to learn every day. One has to grow their mindset.” He shares that folks, upon graduating from high school, enter the real world with a fresh slate in their minds, and they grow their mindsets through experience and knowledge. “After college, we start to forget what we have learned. So it is essential that we keep on learning as much as possible to keep our minds fresh.”
Keith looks at the strengths when interacting with hearing customers. At the end of the day, he reviews his works and analyzes what was done, how he reacted, and how it could be improved upon for future encounters. “It helps me prepare and learn and grow.” He applies the same principle to his work at the Commission where he uses his knowledge from his MPA studies to real-world situations and business decision-making. “There are some things that they don’t teach you in class, and you pick up those skills from hands-on learning in the office.” He stresses the importance of continued education and growing one’s mindsets and knowledge.
Keith shares the following advice, bringing up the mindset angle: “It is important to ask yourself how you can learn and improve from that moment of action. How can you learn from that experience? What could you have done differently for a better outcome? What can you do in future situations?” He encourages folks to keep on learning - picking up certifications as they go through their work and educational experiences. “These are short programs, but you pick up so much more than just a piece of paper - they are skills you can keep building upon and add to your toolkit.” Many of those classes are free and online, which removes some of the barriers people might face. “These added educational outcomes will only enhance your work opportunities in the long run.” He stresses the need to take advantage of those educational opportunities in life and keep on learning. “That will only help you prepare for your journey in life, wherever it might take you.”
Outside of work, Keith enjoys partaking in activities that take place in the Great Outdoors. Prior to joining the Commission, he also participated in the Conservation Corps throughout several summers. “The outdoors has so much to offer.” He names several activities that he enjoys, such as going on hikes, kayaking, and of course, skiing. Nowadays, he is developing an interest in Orienteering where he learned to run with a map, which is a mental task as much as a physical task. That journey took him to Sweden where he participated in the World Championships of Deaf Orienteering where he joined a small emerging US Deaf Orienteering team. “It was an amazing experience, not only playing with the team, but also touring Europe, and especially Sweden.” He’s worked at that hobby for a while, but that experience in Europe gave him the push to keep continuing developing his interests and skills. He joined the Minnesota Orienteering Club to keep up his skills and enjoys it. “I hope to go to the next one in Tokyo in 2025!”
In parting, Keith reminds folks that they will meet people from different walks of life in their journeys through life. “Do the best that you can do, in whatever field you choose. Be useful, like Arnold Schwarzenegger once said in one of his films. Be useful. Provide the community with your insight, your experience, your skills, your support - do it for your community. Show them what you can do. That will help you grow and evolve.”
The #CanDoAnything campaign showcases people who are deaf, deafblind, or hard of hearing at work, giving them an opportunity to share what they do at their jobs and explain how communication access works for them. This campaign shows what our community can do, which is anything!