Karen Meyer

Karen Meyer’s segment on Deaf Mosaic

(See Deaf Mosaic #1008, aired 12/15/94)

Since 1991, Karen Meyer's reports have been a weekly feature on WLS-TV in Chicago. . . . . “I'm primarily a reporter on disability issues. That means that all my subjects are related to disability. I've done stories on hate crime as it relates to people with disabilities, inclusion, on education, housing for people with disabilities, special interest stories on individuals who have overcome their disability.”

“When I first started working at WLS-TV, I really didn't have a lot of experience working with TV. I've learned everything through the people here. When I first started I had a producer that I worked closely with. Since then I've been doing mostly everything on my own. I go out with the crew. I do the interviewing myself. And I come back and I have an intern screen it for me. I write the opening and closing. And I also select how I want the segments set up. And then I also work with a writer here to really make sure everything is in line, in terms of timing. Then I voice it. And we're ready to go on the air live.”

“This field is a speaking field, and when you're deaf—I’m profoundly deaf—speaking is difficult for me sometimes. I can't pronounce all the words correctly, so I really work with a team. My producer, the editor and I work together to really make sure I come off clearly on the air.”

“Well, I've been an advocate for many years. I think it's more breaking the stereotypes that people with disabilities can't be in the communication field. It changes the image. I call that advocacy.” Her reporting career is not Karen's only outlet for advocacy. She's also serving a term as a vice chair of the President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities.

“I'm a consultant. I work with corporate America to help them understand the population of people with disabilities to develop transition, planning and so forth, a variety of things related to accessibility, training and awareness.”

“I think people who were born with a disability learn at a very young age how to survive. Choices are made earlier. When you become disabled, that's a real change in your life—depends on the disability. And hopefully we'll see more and more people with disabilities, especially deaf people, develop stronger desire to go after their real goals, rather than feeling like their deafness will prevent them from achieving those goals. Forget about the fact that you're deaf. Go do it if you can.”