RALEIGH, N.C. — They’re the people behind the scenes at the General Assembly. It’s a critical role in government, interfacing with North Carolinians seeking help from legislators every day.

“Probably the average would be 20 to 30 people or maybe even more,” estimated legislative assistant Hope Turner.

It’s a job the Buncombe County native didn’t always envision for herself.

“If you told me, say a year ago, that I would be working in politics, I’d be like ‘no, no,’ but now I am so, so thankful,” Hope Turner said.

Hope Turner was born deaf and has focused much of her life on helping others like her.

A longtime deaf advocate and teacher, she is studying for her doctorate in education.

She asked her now husband, Democratic Rep. Brian Turner, to send her a message in sign language before their first date.

“It was very stilted, saying, ‘I can’t wait to meet you,’” Brian Turner recalled.

When the couple married last year, Hope Turner saw a new opportunity to help even more.

“When I decided to become a legislative assistant, I knew there was going to be some challenges,” she said. “As a deaf person, I have challenges every day, so that’s nothing new for me.”

The job didn’t come without some adjustments for her and for the legislative building.

Hope Turner is the first deaf legislative assistant in North Carolina’s history. She takes calls from journalists, constituents and colleagues using an online American Sign Language translation service.

A sign outside her office door, never seen in the legislative building until now, greets visitors and explains the solution for communicating with Hope Turner in-person.

The UbiDuo system moves the conversation to keyboards, letting visitors unfamiliar with sign language type in their questions and receive an immediate response.

However, there are times when she requires additional tools. Hope Turner participated in our interview through an ASL interpreter.

She’s always determined to amplify the experiences of others, especially those in the deaf community.

“Politics dictates what they’re going to do every day and I realize now the importance of making sure that people are heard and listened to,” Hope Turner said.

“Hope is able to step forward and say, ‘Look, when we’re talking about inclusion, we’re talking about my ability to go to a public high school in Buncombe County. When we’re talking about inclusion, we’re talking about my ability to work here,’” Brian Turner said.

Hope Turner now walks the halls of the legislative building knowing she belongs, eager to use her unique perspective to make a positive impact through her work.

“She does it better than most and she does it having to face more challenges and she still excels,” Brian Turner said.

“I hope that I’ll be involved in politics for a long, long time,” Hope Turner said.

https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nc/charlotte/news/2025/05/21/deaf-north-carolina-general-assembly