William Babineaux is Deaf, and his native language is American Sign Language (ASL); his second language is English. He was born into a hearing family and raised on the bayous in Louisiana. Babineaux grew up in a large Creole family with a rich Louisiana Creole heritage and a strong Catholic faith. He lost his hearing as a toddler, but his hearing loss was not identified until he was in first grade, which shocked both of his parents and relatives. He attended both Catechism and public school and graduated from high school in 1997.
Babineaux currently serves as the Hoosier BDA Chapter Administrator and is a former 2023-2025 National Black Deaf Advocates Regional Representative for the Midwestern Region, where he has been a member of both organizations since 2020.
Over the past 20 years, Babineaux has been a leader in the Deaf community, participating in various organizations in Louisiana, including the Louisiana Association of the Deaf, the Deaf Grassroots Movement of Louisiana, and the Northshore Louisiana Deaf Coalition. In Indiana, he has been involved with the Fort Wayne Deaf Advocacy Coalition and the Indiana Association of the Deaf.
Since 2011, Babineaux has also pursued a career as a Deaf Interpreter, working for two well-known interpreting agencies in the Indianapolis area. He has been married for 24 years, has a teenage daughter, and a Havanese, Daisy. In his free time, he enjoys going to the beach, traveling, jogging, playing volleyball, and spending quality time with his family.