On-Site Report

Deaf Way II International Conference Promotes Exchange Between 10,000 Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing People

By Howard A. Rosenblum, Senior Attorney

In July, I participated in a week-long conference called Deaf Way II (www.deafway.org) at the Washington, D.C., Convention Center. It was accompanied by an elaborate and inspirational arts festival at venues around the city. Many people - deaf, hearing, hard of hearing, late-deafened and deaf blind - plus parents, students and community members participated in the DWII events.

Howard Rosenblum (left) receives The Edward J. Lewis II Pro Bono Service Award from John Lewis, brother of the late Edward J. Lewis II It was an incredible experience to see more than 10,000 deaf people from 108 countries all in one place trying to communicate with each other in their country's sign language. The objectives of the conference, as described by conference organizers, were to:

Encourage cultural and cross-continent exchanges through an international conference on the language, culture, history and art of deaf and hard-of-hearing people.
Examine technology use by, for and on deaf people, and consider the interconnectedness of deaf, hard-of-hearing and hearing people in an increasingly technologically sophisticated world.
Celebrate the visual, performing, and literary arts of deaf and hard-of-hearing people through a Cultural Arts Festival.
Foster greater tolerance and understanding among deaf, hard-of-hearing and hearing people through scholarly discussions and experiential cultural events for participants, and extensive outreach to the general public.
Heighten opportunities for deaf and hard-of-hearing people by bringing to light our artistic, leadership and professional capabilities and diverse contributions to societies around the world.

As part of the conference, 26 deaf and hard-of-hearing attorneys and law students, including myself, met to discuss their experiences and brainstorm on ways to better serve the deaf and hard-of-hearing communities. This was remarkable, especially when it is estimated that in the world there are only 70-90 known attorneys who are deaf or have had significant hearing loss for most of their life. (There are many more attorneys who may have lost their hearing later in life.)* As part of this group, we were fortunate to have with us one individual each from Japan, Canada and Hungary, as well as two from the United Kingdom and one French law student.

Karen Aguilar, who is Program Manager of the Midwest Center on Law and the Deaf (MCLD), and I, in my capacity as Founder and Board Chairman of MCLD, presented a workshop entitled "Full Access to Law and Justice for the Deaf." The seminar focused on the need for the deaf community and the legal community to work together on two primary issues: ensuring that deaf persons gain accessible legal representation through interpreters, and that deaf persons are adequately represented in court and other legal forums.

Chicago Lawyers Honor Howard Rosenblum with Pro Bono Service Award

EFE Senior Attorney Howard Rosenblum, who also serves on the staff of EFE's Training Institute on Disability Rights, was honored by the Chicago Bar Association and Chicago Bar Foundation at its Fourth Annual Pro Bono and Public Service Awards Luncheon held July 24 at the Standard Club in Chicago. He received the 2002 Edward J. Lewis II Pro Bono Service Award for his many years of extraordinary pro bono work on behalf of the entire disability community during his tenure at the law firm of Monahan and Cohen.

Profoundly deaf himself, Rosenblum's mission is to make life easier for the nearly half-million deaf and hard-of-hearing persons in the Chicago area. His crowning achievement is the founding of the Midwest Center on Law and, Deaf (MCLD) in 1997.

The Center educates the general public on the rights of the deaf and hard-of-hearing community by providing information, conducting workshops and acting as a clearinghouse on deafness-related legal issues. It also helps find attorneys willing to provide accessible legal services and assists attorneys in providing sign language interpreters, real-time captioning and any other modes of communication necessary for them to communicate with deaf and hard-of-hearing clients.

"Howard's commitment to the disability community and the CBA award recognizing his pro bono achievements personify the mission and work of Equip for Equality", said Barry Taylor, EFE Legal Advocacy Director. "We are very proud of his achievements and realize how fortunate we are to have him on staff."

Established in 1999, the prestigious Edward J. Lewis II Pro Bono Service Award is named for a man who devoted a lifetime of pro bono service to the fundamental principles of equal protection and equal justice in the community. Prior to his death at age 37, Lewis provided more than 2,000 hours of pro bono legal services to various organizations, while maintaining a busy practice as a partner at Jenner & Block. =

*Note. Howard Rosenblum is the only active attorney deaf from childhood in Illinois and one of approximately 50 to 60 known in the United States.

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