Ageless Passions by Karen Putz

Category: Uncategorized

  • Are You Comfortable Being Deaf/Hard of Hearing?

    “My son has some issues with being hard of hearing,” a mom recently shared with me. I glanced at her son. He seemed ill at ease.

    I nodded.

    And I understood.

    Because you see, I was in that kid’s shoes many years ago. I grew up hard of hearing and when I received a hearing aid at the age of nine, I rebelled. I didn’t want anything to do with it. Frankly, I didn’t need it. I was fine, thankyouverymuch.

    I wore it during school hours, partly because I was told that I had to and partly because it made things louder, not necessarily clearer–but louder. I was embarassed about that hearing aid. I hated it. I hid it. That piece of plastic reminded me that I was different from my peers. That I stood out. So I did my best to blend in. I wore my hair down. I smiled and nodded and laughed along with jokes and conversations that I either caught snippets of or had no clue at all what was being said. When confronted with the idea that I was hard of hearing, I responded with, “Oh, sometimes I can’t hear what you say.” Never mind that I was lipreading to comprehend conversation, as I had little ability to understand words via auditory means alone.

    So I understood where that mom was coming from, and I understood that feeling of being uncomfortable. I wrote about Embracing the Identity of Being Deaf or Hard of Hearing previously. Ironically, just this weekend, I came across two articles that talk about learning to accept being hard of hearing:

    From Mail Online/Disability Alert, Liz Jones shares her experience of finally labeling her hearing loss and coming to terms with it:

    I received some bad news two weeks ago. After years of refusing to accept I had a problem with my hearing, I finally decided to go to a clinic and find out the worst, which is that I have, at best, 30 per cent hearing in each ear.

    It was weird, hearing (if that’s the right word) that I am officially disabled or impaired.

    But I suppose I can at last tell people I am hard of hearing – which hopefully they will understand and make allowances for – rather than doing what I have been doing up until now, which is to try to appear normal.

    This has only made people – friends, colleagues on the phone, shop assistants and so on – think I am merely mad, rude or eccentric.

    I first noticed I had a problem at school. I could barely follow what the teachers were saying, although they never seemed to notice.

    I avoided parties and school discos because I could never join in the conversation. I would just stand there looking awkward.

    Over at the Dallas News, Jeanna Mead shares her experience of “coming out of the closet” about being hard of hearing:

    This is a hard column to write – I have to let go of years, decades, of hiding my hearing loss, and now I am about to “come out of the closet,” so to speak. I am hearing-impaired, practically deaf – but that is only part of the story.

    That is not who I am; I define myself by so many other things, and way, way, way down on the bottom of the list is “hearing impaired.”

    I lost my hearing when I was 4, which explains why my speech is so good, but I have to give credit where credit is due; my Mema worked tirelessly to coach me to speak correctly, holding my hand to her throat while repeating words over and over until I could say them the right way.

    It wasn’t until I was an adult that I realized there were hearing people in this world who could not pronounce Mexia, Rowlett, Louisiana, Tawakoni or even “congratulations.”

    Getting comfortable being deaf and hard of hearing is often a journey and over at Tania Says, Tania Karas shares a life-changing day that occured when she stepped into a deaf classroom for the first time:

    Hale has a pretty big deaf program, spanning from preschool until 8th grade. The students have a wide range of hearing loss. All use sign, but all use their voices as well. The classrooms are unbelievably deaf-friendly; there is one teacher for every 3-4 students, a combination of sign and speech, resource and speech pathology teachers, and a whole bunch of kids who just understood each other. I had never seen a deaf classroom before, so this was all like a dream world to me. Communication just flowed so seamlessly, much unlike the constant confusion I have encountered all my life in mainstream/”hearing” classrooms.

    But what got me the most was that these kids were happy. They had crazy-colored ear molds and bright cochlear implants on display for the whole world to see. The philosophy behind the instruction at Hale was to take pride in one’s deafness. The students’ hearing loss was just a small part of their vibrant personalities – when I saw them in class, I didn’t think “deaf kids,” I thought “happy kids.” And I kinda wanted to be like them.

    And that’s what I wish for every deaf and hard of hearing child or adult– to become so comfortable with being deaf or hard of hearing that you’re happy as well.

  • Moving in a New Direction With CSDVRS

    Today, I’m heading over to Harper College for the Deaf Nation Expo.  I’ll be at the CSDVRS booth, where we have an exciting line of new “Z” videophone products and services.

    You may recall that I worked previously for Hands On and for i711.com before they merged into one company.  I have to say, I love the videophone companies that I’ve worked for, but I had an exciting opportunity come forth that I couldn’t pass up.

    With CSDVRS, I have the opportunity to focus on VCO, which is voice carry over.  With VCO, I make and receive phone calls using my voice and the other party can hear me directly.  On the screen, an interpreter signs everything that the person on the phone is saying to me.   VCO has enabled me to participate in tele-conference calls for Hands & Voices, interview people from all over and chat with hearing friends directly.  Just recently, I completed a taped interview that will soon be going up online. So with CSDVRS, I have the wonderful opportunity to share this technology with others who will benefit from it.

    So if you’re planning to attend the Expo, stop by the CSDVRS booth and say hi!

  • Chris Wagner–Vice President of Marketing

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    Chris at the WSAD Picnic

    Chris Wagner is the Vice President of Marketing for CSDVRS, a video relay company based in Florida.  Chris is the company spokesperson and his job is to oversee media relations, marketing strategies and marketing materials.

    Chris graduated from Rochester Institute of Technology with a social work degree and for twelve years, he worked in the field of mental health.  In 1996, Chris developed the first nursing home in Florida to serve primarily deaf and hard of hearing consumers.  The 60-bed facility was initially designed specifically for deaf and hard of hearing residents but is now open to other residents as well.

    “I love what I do,” said Chris, about his job at CSDVRS.  “We have fun together and the company is growing very fast.”

    Chris also serves as the Vice President of the National Association of the Deaf.  From their website:

    With a background in healthcare administration, Wagner was responsible for the implementation of the first Deaf assisted living facility and a nursing facility for the deaf and hard of hearing in Florida.  Largely responsible for the creation of the Florida Coordinating Council for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (FCCDHH), he was appointed by Governor Jeb Bush as the first member and chairperson of the Coordinating Council.  He also serves on numerous boards, which include stints as President of Florida Association of the Deaf, Inc. (FAD), Vice Chair of the Governor’s American with Disabilities Act Working Group (ADAWG), and most recent, as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind.  Prior to his election as FAD President, Wagner served as the first president of the Florida Coalition for Disability Rights. 

    In 2004, Chris received several awards for his outstanding leadership and advocacy on both state and national levels, including the first Claude Seale Advocate Award from the Florida Independent Living Council ( <http://www.flailc.org> FILC), the Robert Greenmun Award for State Leadership Excellence, and the Knights of the Flying Fingers Award from the National Association of the Deaf (NAD).
     

  • What I Learned from my Homebirth

    On Sunday, we celebrated my youngest’s son’s birthday. Eleven years. How time zips by.  Every year on his birthday, I always think back to his birth.

    I didn’t plan a homebirth at first.  I had my two other kids via cesarean.  Lauren’s birth was especially hard, because I had hoped to birth her naturally, but ended up consenting to be induced.  Post-partum depression reared its ugly head and I was fortunate to find a support group to help me through it.

    While attending the support group, I learned that several other moms had given birth at home.  One mom had two cesareans like me. 

    Homebirth?  Nah.  That was far too radical for me.  I was a good follower.  I dutifully took my kids to the pediatrician and followed the schedule for vaccinations.  I read the books on what to expect when pregnant.  I went for the epidural and the pitocin hook-ups each time.

    Then a little surprise–the lines turned pink on the plastic stick, the result of a New Year’s Eve party that we had at our house.  A welcome surprise though, as we had planned to have a third child down the road.

    While attending the support group, I began to dive into books about birth.  My friend Beth had briefly contemplated a homebirth and she handed over Sheila Kitzinger’s Homebirth for me to read.  The more I read, the more people that I talked to about homebirth, the stronger the feeling began to grow inside of me that I wanted to have a homebirth.

    And I did.  It was an amazing time, in more ways than one.  But I also ended up being induced at home, consenting to something that I didn’t really know I was consenting to.  Steven’s homebirth turned into a story that was published in Don’t Cut Me Again. 

    Birthing at home wasn’t so much the life changing event as making the decision to have a homebirth.  I was torn between doing what society perceived as safe (birthing in the hospital) and doing what my instinct was leading me toward.  Did I have the courage to break the status quo?  Did I have the courage to look within and make a decision that that felt right to me (and my husband), despite others telling me I shouldn’t? 

    Making the decision was a liberating moment for me. 

    When decisions come from within us and are not influenced by outside factors, we hold ourselves responsible for the outcomes.  We own the decisions with more rights than we could have if we allowed someone else to influence us. 

    So tell me, have you faced a moment in your life that shaped the way you make decisions?


  • Karen Putz Talks to The Celebrity Experience Author

    Donna Cutting, author of The Celebrity Experience is on a Book Tour and today’s stop is right here!  Donna and I met at the SOBCon’08 conference. You may recall Donna from a previous post where I reviewed her book and wondered, What Would Happen if Steak ‘n Shake Rolled Out the Red Carpet for Their Customers?

    So today, I took the opportunity to ask Donna some more questions about how companies like Steak ‘n Shake could apply the Celebrity Experience and produce positive outcomes for their company:

    Donna, I know you’re familiar with the Steak ‘n Shake incident, when I attempted to order two milkshakes through the drive through but was denied service because I could not use the drive through speaker.  I came home and blogged about the incident.  The company issued an apology via email and set up a meeting to discuss the incident with three of their executives.  What are some ways that Steak ‘n Shake could have handled this incident differently, to produce a better outcome?

     

    Karen, I remember you telling me about this incident when we met, and I’ve read a few of the many blog posts on the subject. My first impression of the event was that it could have all been avoided if the clerk in question had simply chosen his customer over his own convenience or store “policy.” Driving up to the window instead ordering though the speaker is not the typical procedure, true. But honestly, disability or no disability, was it really a big deal to just serve you those milkshakes? What if a hearing individual drove by the speaker and went straight to the window by mistake. Must you really make them drive back to the speaker? What harm is it to just take the order at the window?

     

    I wasn’t there to witness the event, but based on what you have said, it seems like the better customer service choice would have been to just bend policy and serve you at the window.

     

    Based on what you’ve told me, certainly the clerk could have turned the situation around by sincerely apologizing once he realized you were deaf, and served you the milkshakes.

     

    In giving red-carpet service, you want to strive to please the customer the first time. Mistakes happen. People are human. However, good service professionals own their mistakes and strive to immediately make the wrong right.

     

    Please note this: I have not spoken with anyone at Steak ‘n Shake about this incident. I know one side of the story. So, I’m a little uncomfortable sharing what I think Steak ‘n Shake could have done differently. The fact that they did contact you and set up a meeting is positive. However, considering the story has been posted on several blogs and told in a variety of media outlets, they might have done well to detail on their website and your blog exactly how they intended to address the situation. From a customer service standpoint in general, all companies should ensure their employees are well-versed in the Americans with Disabilities Act, provide ongoing training and hold employees accountable for giving ALL customers exceptional service.

     

     

    What are some ways that companies today can provide their customers with the Red Carpet experience? 

     

    In my book, The Celebrity Experience: Insider Secrets to Delivering Red-Carpet Customer Service, I dedicate an entire chapter to the power of YES! The premise is to “treat your customers like Hollywood celebrities.” Well, for a celebrity, whatever the question the answer is YES!

     

    For the rest of us, we often hear “Sorry, the policy is….’

     

    The policy is that even though we sold you a defective laptop, we will not provide you with a replacement for the two weeks we need in order to repair the one you bought from us.

     

    The policy is that you must stay home all day waiting for a plumber who may or may not show up.

     

    The policy is that you have to order at the speaker, and if you go to the window first we will make you drive back to the speaker.

     

    Great service providers empower their employees to give their customers a red-carpet service. The best hotels empower their team members to make things right for guests up to a certain dollar amount. Starbucks empowers their baristas to surprise and delight customers with the occasional freebie. (Problems or no, I’m still a Starbucks fan!)

     

    Company leaders could start the red-carpet process by empowering and encouraging employees to be flexible when a customer doesn’t follow procedure. Use some creativity! Policies are in place for a reason – but it doesn’t hurt to bend them to give a customer a great experience.  

     

     

     When a company is hit with a negative experience that is shared on the internet, what are some ways that companies can address this?

     

    It’s a new world for many companies. Rather than one person telling two friends, and they telling two friends…and so on…..disgruntled customers are telling millions of people in one fell swoop – with a blog post that travels far and wide, as yours did.

     

    When an error has clearly been made, and it’s making the rounds on the internet, the best thing company leaders can do is communicate, communicate, communicate. Act quickly to address the error. Address it with the person in question, but also on the company website, on blogs, and by any other means available. Tell the truth about what happened, clearly outline what is being done to correct the situation, and keep customers updated on the progress. The key to regaining your customer’s trust is to communicate, communicate, and communicate some more.

     

    Smart leaders are beginning to realize they too can jump on the blogging bandwagon. Zappos, Southwest, Jobing.com – they all have blogs and encourage customer participation. Through blog comments, Twitter Tweets, and other social networking strategies, customers are actually influencing the direction these companies take.

      

     

    Steak ‘n Shake is now facing a formal complaint filed against them for discrimination at the drive through.  At this point, could Steak ‘n Shake employ Red Carpet strategies to turn the situation around or is the situation past the point of no return?

     

    Again, I don’t know all sides of this story, and I’m not sure I’m qualified to speak directly to what Steak ‘n Shake could do at this point to prevent further actions from being taken.

     

    In general, a company can recover from this type of situation by:

     

    1. Owning Up to their mistakes

    2. Communicating with their customers

    3. Going Above and Beyond to make things right….and then some.

    4. Providing exceptional training for their employees and hold them accountable to high service standards

    5. Continue to communicate, communicate, communicate…..including getting feedback from customers about what they’d like to see happen.

     

    This interview was part of a blog tour.

    Yesterday, the blog tour was conducted at these locations:
    Mary Eileen Williams /     Fiesty Side of Fifty
    Kirsten Harrell / I Pop In
    Pam Archer / I Do Weddings

    Today, there are 2 other places you can read about Donna’s book:

    Debba Haupert / Girlfriendology
    Glenda Watson Hyatt / Author of I can do it Myself – Do It Myself

    And tomorrow it continues at these blogs:
    Heidi Caswell /     Get Your Cards Here
    Jenn Givler / Create a Thriving Business
    Melodiann Whitley / Wealth Together

    Andrea Nierenberg’s blog

    At anytime, you can purchase Donna’s book, The Celebrity Experience, Insider Secrets to Red Carpet Customer Service by going to Amazon
    SOBCon 08 032
    Donna Cutting and Stephen Hopson at the SOBCon’08

  • Karen Putz and Amy Derby Do Lunch

     I don’t remember who suggested it first, but I found myself writing down “lunch with Amy Derby” on my calendar last week.   Yesterday, I headed out to her town to pick her up.

    I’m bad with directions, she wrote.  You might want to Mapquest it.

    I’ve got a navigator in my van,  I told her.  I’m sure I can find it.

    I dutifully followed the directions and found myself lost.  The numbers didn’t match up.  Thank goodness for good ‘ole texting, as I found Amy a quarter mile away, standing on a street corner hammering away at her iPhone.

    Meeting someone for the first time is often awkward, but I think Amy and I hit it off pretty quickly.  For one thing, we instantly bonded over hearing aid batteries.  She needed a hearing aid battery and I had a stash of different sizes in my purse.  We headed over to Chilis, but because I was driving and reading lips at the same time, we ended up in the Baker’s Square parking lot.  Neither of us noticed, until we swung open the doors and saw a showcase of pies facing us.  We laughed, and walked next door to Chilis.

    It was heaven to connect with another writer and talk about the daily stuff that’s involved with churning out words.    Heaven to bounce ideas off of someone who could give an honest answer (even if it was, “I don’t know”).  And boy, was it fun to talk about all the people we know on the ‘net and how we got to know them.

    So, if you don’t know Amy Derby, head on over to her blog, Write From Home and take a moment to get to know this sassy, talented writer.

  • John Kinstler, Communication Technology Counselor

    My first introduction to John Kinstler was on YouTube, where I came across one of my favorite John Denver songs translated into American Sign Language.  I was immediately captivated by John’s interpretation of “Looking for Space,” for he signed it beautifully.  You can view the video here and the lyrics here.

    John Kinstler works as a Communication Technology Counselor at the Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing /UniversaLink in Wisconsin.  The non-profit organization has a store and online catalog that specializes in products for deaf and hard of hearing consumers.

    I work with a team of three others,” said John.   “We assist customers with their questions about products that we carry and help them decide on what products to purchase by demonstrating them.   We help them select products that will help alert them to their environment, such as the doorbell ringing,  the phone ringing, or a baby crying .”

    John grew up in Madison, Wisconsin, attending schools in the mainstream.  “My parents did not want me to learn American Sign Language,” said John.  “I went to NTID/RIT at the age of eighteen.  I wanted to escape, to find my deaf identity.”

    In college, John began to soak up ASL like a sponge.  He discovered that he enjoyed acting and he loved signing to music.  “I grew up on John Denver’s music.  I first learned his songs in grade school.  The teacher printed out the lyrics to ‘Country Roads’ and I was able to follow along with practice, listening to the songs over and over.”

    For ten years, John dove into acting.  He performed with the National Theatre of the Deaf, Sunshine Too and the Cleveland Sign Stage Theatre.  John produced a DVD, Sign and ABCs which won a Parent Choice Award in 1994.

    In 2005, John obtained a cochlear implant and then a second one in 2007.  “My understanding of speech went from seven percent to eighty-eight percent,” said John.  “Music became sharper and I was surprised to be able to pick out various instruments that I wasn’t able to hear in songs with my hearing aids.”

    Today, John is working on a new career path: becoming a comedian.  He is doing stand-up comedy and practicing his comedy skills in local comedy clubs.

  • The D-Pan DVD Giveaway Winner!

    We had 25 entries for the D-Pan DVD Giveaway and thanks to Random.org, we have a winner!

    Daisy from Compost Happens! (Gotta love that blog title!)

    Congrats, Daisy!  Your D-Pan DVD will be on its way for you to enjoy soon!

  • Enter the D-Pan ASL Music Give Away Here!

     

     

    I recently had the opportunity to chat with D-Pan founder, Sean Forbes, via videophone.  D-Pan is a company that produces popular music videos signed in American Sign Language.  Sean became deaf at the age of one from spinal meningitis.  The son of two musicians, Sean was the only one of his two brothers to pursue a career in the music field.  Sean grew up in the mainstream and learned American Sign Language as a young adult.

    Sean compiled a collection of songs signed with American Sign Language and produced a DVD titled, D-Pan, It’s Everybody’s Music, Volume I.  Included in the DVD:

    “Waiting on The World To Change” By John Mayer

    “Beautiful” By Christina Aguilera

    Eminem’s “Lose Yourself” Performed by Sponge

    Community Created  ASL Music Video’s

    Signing Songs: The Making of D-PAN Music Videos (Mini-Documentary)

    Special Features & More!

     

    All  of the videos are closed captioned and subtitled on the DVD.  Each of the D-PAN performers receive a royalty based on sales revenue.  All of the sales from the music videos will fund upcoming projects.

    As a special to the readers of A Deaf Mom Shares Her World, Sean is giving away a free copy of the D-Pan, It’s Everybody’s Music DVD.  Everyone who leaves a comment below will be entered into the free give away.  The deadline for this is Monday, September 22 at midnight.  The winner will be chosen by Random.org.  You must enter your email in the field (email will not be shown) and the winner will be notified on Tuesday.  D-Pan will send the DVD directly to the winner.

    Comment away!

     

  • Wordless Wednesday–Beautiful Columbine

    I listened to the music of the night wind in the pines.
    I’ve seen the quiet splendor of a field of columbine.
    I skied on crystal pathways to a mountain peak so tall,
    and I walked the mighty summits with the one who made it all.

    From The Mountain Song, John Denver

    This photo was taken in Breckenridge, Colorado this summer.

    See more photos at:  Wordless Wednesday.