Howard Rosenblum was just twelve years old when he attended an event that changed his life and determined his career path. At the event, he met Lowell Myers, a deaf attorney who had argued a famous case which was made into a movie, Dummy.
Howard recalls the event: “When he came to speak about his experiences as a lawyer at an event in 1978, a twelve-year-old deaf boy saw the same opportunity that Mr. Myers saw for himself. That boy was me, and thanks to Mr. Myers, I became a lawyer 14 years later.”
Today, Howard is a Senior Attorney at Equip for Equality located in Chicago– a non-profit organization that advances the human and civil rights of people with disabilities. He holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Arizona and a J.D. from Chicago-Kent College of Law. He is the founder and director of the Midwest Center for Law and the Deaf which provides attorney referrals for deaf and hard of hearing people. In 2002, he received the Edward J. Lewis II Pro Bono Service Award for providing many years of pro bono work during his tenure at the law firm of Monahan and Cohen.
Howard credits his parents for encouraging him to pursue his dream and to ignore the naysayers. Just as Myers inspired Howard, Howard is now inspiring other deaf and hard of hearing individuals with his path. The number of deaf and hard of hearing attorneys continues to grow, and together, they’re breaking down barriers.