Do It Myself Blog – Glenda Watson Hyatt

(Photo credit: Hannah Boettcher)

After driving nearly six hundred miles in my red Ferrari this weekend (yes, life is tough!), I pulled up in front of Karen Putz’s home in Bolingbrook, Illinois, shortly after she got her kids off to school. Not bad timing!

Karen is a deaf mom to three deaf and hard of hearing kids. Her husband is also deaf. Her dog Kaycie hears a rabbit breathing a half mile away! Through her involvement with Illinois Families for Hands & Voices, Karen is active as both a Deaf Mentor to families with newly identified deaf children in the Chicago area.

Over a box of still warm Krispy Kreme doughnuts, we discover that communication is the largest barrier that we both face, particularly in group settings. Those times can be the most isolating for us. The internet levels the playing for us, making communication much easier. Karen appreciates when people add captioning to videos and provides transcripts for podcasts, making those forms of communication also accessible to her. Please join us for our chat. There may be a couple of doughnuts left!

Tomorrow I am off to Indiana, home of the Indy. Sounds like a side trip is in order! Until then, please vote daily so I may win the opportunity to be paid to blog for a year (be sure to click on “Vote for Glenda Watson Hyatt”). With your support, I have secured fourth place! Thanks. Can we make #3 by Labour Day?

Finally, a reminder that an ebook version of my autobiography I’ll Do It Myself is now available, and autographed paperbacks are also still available. Order yours today. Gas for this Ferrari is expensive!