Avel Gordly, Oregon’s first Black state senator, passed away on February 16, 2026
It is with deep sadness and deep gratitude that I acknowledge the passing of Senator Avel Gordly last week.
Senator Gordly was not only Oregon’s first African American woman legislator — she was a principled and courageous leader whose work permanently shaped public policy in our state. Her commitment to language access and justice was evident well before health care interpreter reform reached the legislative agenda.
In 1995, as chief sponsor of House Bill 2441, Representative Gordly advanced landmark legislation requiring the appointment of qualified interpreters in court and administrative proceedings and establishing certification standards for agency interpreters. That bill reinforced the requirement that interpreters demonstrate competence, state their qualifications on the record, and provide true and impartial interpretation in accordance with professional ethics.
When I later began working with Senator Gordly on health care interpreter reform, she shared this earlier legislative work with me. It was clear that she understood interpreter qualification not as a courtesy, but as a structural safeguard within systems of justice.
By 1999–2000, we were witnessing serious patient safety failures affecting individuals with limited English proficiency in healthcare settings. Children were interpreting for their parents. Critical medical conversations were occurring without trained or qualified interpreters. Informed consent, diagnoses, and end-of-life discussions were unfolding without safeguards to ensure accuracy or ethics. The risks were immediate and significant.
Recognizing this urgent need, I brought forward to Senator Gordly the proposal for statewide health care interpreter standards. I presented a policy framework grounded in clinical experience and emerging professional standards. She immediately understood the gravity of what was at stake.
Working hand in hand, we developed what became Senat Bill 790 — the first law in Oregon to specifically address health care interpreting (and the second state to enact such legislation, alongside Massachusetts). The bill established qualification standards, accountability mechanisms, and formal recognition that language access in healthcare is a matter of patient safety and civil rights.
Senator Gordly’s legislative leadership was indispensable. She shepherded the bill through the legislative process and secured its passage, transforming field-based expertise into lasting statutory protection. Governor John Kitzhaber signed the bill into law.
Because of that partnership, Oregon became an early leader in establishing statewide standards for health care interpreter qualifications and oversight. Patients across our state are safer today because of that work.
Her influence lives in every credentialed interpreter who ensures that a person can fully participate in legal or medical proceedings with understanding and dignity.
There are some debts that cannot be repaid. I remain profoundly honored to have partnered with Senator Gordly in this historic effort.
Senator Gordly’s leadership did more than pass legislation — it altered the trajectory of health care justice in Oregon. Because of her courage and conviction, patients with limited English proficiency are no longer invisible within the medical system. They now have a greater chance at safety, understanding, informed consent, and truly equitable care. Her work transformed language access from an afterthought into a standard of quality health care and a recognized matter of civil rights.
As OHCIA reflects on her life, may we honor her legacy not only in words, but in action — by fiercely protecting the standards she championed, advancing equity without compromise, and ensuring that every patient, regardless of language, is treated with dignity, justice, and the highest standard of care.
In appreciation of her legacy,
Maria Michalczyk, MA, Retired RN
President Emerita
Oregon Health Care Interpreters Association