Karen Putz

Filed under: Themes, Deaf Jam

Quoting the always-always-always entertaining Karen Putz, writing on her website deafmomworld.com:

I came across a post this morning, The Shame of Wearing Hearing Aids, and it brought back memories. I was one of those kids who hid a hearing aid under long hair. It wasn’t until I was in college that I finally wore my hair up and my hearing aid perched for all to see. Kinda sad, eh? All those years spent trying to hide something that was basically a part of me—except I didn’t want any part of it.

I decided to raise my kids with a different attitude about their hearing aids. From the start, we went with brightly-colored earmolds with swirls and glitter. I even joined my daughter in getting matching glitter earmolds. I’m pretty sure I saw my audiologist hold back a gulp when I asked for the blue with glitter when she squeezed the earmold goop into my ear.

So far, no one has had the guts to tell me that I look foolish sporting glitter at my age.

Despite my years of preaching about being proud of those two pieces of technology on their ears, my kids had minds of their own … Continue reading this great essay

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Karen Putz is an insightful, talented and entertaining freelance writer. She provides early intervention services to families with deaf and hard of hearing children. She serves as a board member for Hands & Voices (www.handsandvoices.org) and runs Illinois Hands & Voices in her state. She’s also a deaf mom to three deaf and hard of hearing children, and her husband is deaf, too. Learn more at karenputz.com.

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Thanks to a tip-off from Karen Putz’s frequently-updated Twitter feed, we recently stumbled upon this fascinating article written by Lizz Carroll, (published on diversityinc.com):

If you’re someone with a non-visible disability, you are entitled to your privacy and are under no obligation to bring it up in the workplace. But are there times when you should tell your employer—particularly if you need an accommodation such as flex time or a specific work environment? DiversityInc spoke to several experts to help you weigh your options and guide you through the process of disclosing a non-visible illness in the workplace.

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Filed under: Themes, Deaf Jam, Campaign Watch

Quoting Amy Cohen Efron’s recent complaint letter, titled Good Bye and Good Riddance Netflix!:

Dear Netflix, I canceled my subscription with you after being a loyal customer for 5 years today. I picked the reasons why I canceled today online, but I do want to emphasize with you about the main reason why I left you today. You did not provide online streaming captions for the Wizard of Oz. We tried to tell you many times for two years, but you released the special feature today without captions. I, among with other 30 million people felt left out. You want me to rent a DVD to watch Wizard of Oz. You are discriminating me from others. You are excluding me. I have high speed internet service, with fast computer and why cannot I enjoy movies as other people are enjoying the Wizard of Oz? Good bye and good riddance, Amy Cohen Efron

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Quoting Karen Putz, also a renowned deaf blogger, taking to her official Twitter account:

I’m boycotting because no captions for Wizard of Oz means 30 Mil Deaf and hard of hearing ppl are shut out

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Learn about Netflix’s captioning controversy
Read the NAD’s advocacy letter
Check out the Deaf Movie Club

Then…

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Filed under: Themes, Deaf Jam, Interviews

Kathie Snow is a highly-acclaimed public speaker, trainer, author, filmmaker, and consultant on disability issues. In addition to being Benjamin’s mom, she also runs the excellent website disabilityisnatural.com.

Karen Putz is an insightful, talented and entertaining freelance writer. She provides early intervention services to families with deaf and hard of hearing children. She serves as a board member for Hands & Voices (www.handsandvoices.org) and runs Illinois Hands & Voices in her state. She’s also a deaf mom to three deaf and hard of hearing children, and her husband is deaf, too. Learn more at karenputz.com.

Karen recently interviewed Kathie for Disaboom.
Here are the highlights:

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Filed under: Themes, Deaf Jam

Stepmom Shares Life with Deaf Twins

by Karen Putz, and guest blogger Barbara Desmarais

[Ed’s note: In addition to being an insightful, talented and entertaining freelance writer, Karen is also a deaf mom to three deaf and hard of hearing children. Her husband is deaf, too. Their cute little Westie “Kaycie” can hear a rabbit breathing a half-mile away.]

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