Archive for the 'Uncategorized' Category


Real People, Real Cars: A Look Back

This article originally appeared at i711.com. It was ten years ago this month that one of the strangest stories I’ve ever worked on began to unravel. In late 1996, Saturn, the car company, was in the midst of its “Real People, Real Cars” advertising campaign. This ad campaign featured actual car owners who were not[.....]



In Loco Parentis

This article originally appeared at i711.com. When I was a day student at the Illinois School for the Deaf (ISD) in 1985, I usually went to the dorms at lunchtime and after school for extracurricular and dorm activities. Although the socialization was always fun, there was one deciding factor for whether we kids would have[.....]



Matt Daigle: Father, Artist Wins Logo Contest

This article originally appeared at www.deafprofessional.net. Ask Matt Daigle what he does, and he immediately answers, “I’m a stay-at-home dad to my one-year-old son Hayden.” He’s also a freelance cartoonist, illustrator and graphic designer, but it’s his role as a father that he’s most proud of. So it isn’t a surprise that Daigle’s design won[.....]



Politicians Rolling Eyes at Democracy

This article originally appeared at i711.com. A group of disabled people filed a civil lawsuit, citing the state Constitution and the Americans with Disabilities Act, on Nov. 22 against the Massachusetts House and Senate leaders for failing to provide access to State House events. Among the litigants are three deaf community leaders: John Pirone, Louis[.....]



Jay Blumenfeld: Smart Alex Makes Good

This article originally appeared at www.deafprofessional.net. “Where people go, I go the other way,” Jay Blumenfeld says with a playful smile. Blumenfeld, 52, is the owner of Smart Alex, a Chicago-based manufacturer and wholesale distributor of greeting cards and party items. Smart Alex – which bills itself as having “smart humor with attitude,” has sold[.....]



Adopt a Deaf Dog Today!

January 2, 2009: This organization is apparently inactive. Donations to the organization have not been returned nor acknowledged; complaints have been filed with the state of Florida and the Better Business Bureau. Even so, do consider adopting a deaf dog today. This article originally appeared at i711.com. I avoid www.deafdogs.org like the plague. Otherwise, I[.....]



Deaf Candidates: It’s Also About the Issues

This article originally appeared at i711.com. If a deaf person runs for political office, should deaf people automatically support that candidate simply because she or he is deaf? That was the question I posed to several friends recently. In Minnesota, we have the fine Rev. Emory Dively (R) running for District 64B (St. Paul) in[.....]



Deaf Instructors in ITPs: An Investment in the Community

This article originally appeared at i711.com. There’s a new interpreter training/preparation program (ITP) in Quincy, Ill., at Quincy University- where my grandmother worked for 35 years. When I learned of this ITP’s establishment, I was flabbergasted for a number of reasons. First, Quincy only has about 20-30 deaf people in a population of 40,000. The[.....]



Deaf in Delhi Offers Rare Perspective of Being Deaf in India

This article originally appeared at www.deafprofessional.net. The cover of Deaf in Delhi features a stunningly handsome, dark man, complete with fashionable scarf around neck. I couldn’t help but marvel at the black and white picture, which is reminiscent of a different era, yet resembles a modern-day Banana Republic advertisement. Deaf in Delhi details growing up[.....]



A Year Later: “Deeply Disappointed” But Optimistic (Part II)

This article originally appeared at www.deafprofessional.net. An exclusive interview with Dr. Glenn Anderson This is the second installment of a two-part article. The first installment appeared on September 7, 2006. When Dr. Anderson stepped down as Gallaudet University board chair in November 2005 in order to apply for the university presidency, his interim replacement was[.....]