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How about some positive news today? Successful Deaf businessman, Roberto Wirth, was featured on a special episode about elegent homes of Rome on HGTV. On the program he signed and used an interpreter.Here is an excerpt about him from Ability Magazine:
"...The 100-room, five star hotel is now run by owner and general manager Roberto Wirth, Oscar's eldest son. Wirth comes from a long line of hoteliers on both sides of his family, and looks as if he were cast for the part. Tall and distinguished, his handsome features enhance the appeal and elegance of the Hassler. The same is true of his wife and family. Born deaf, Wirth received much of his higher education and training in the U.S., and both lip-reads and speaks several languages fluently...
When I was five years old, I did not realize that I was deaf because I went to a school for the deaf in Milan. They were all deaf, so it was easy to communicate with everyone. When I was 12, I moved to a hearing school and I found difficulties, especially with hearing students. I did not realize how difficult that is, but I did not give up. When I was about 13 years old I asked my father to let me work in the hotel. But he didn't think I could be a hotel man like him. He told me that to be a hotel man you need to talk with people, and also to use the telephone and be able to communicate with employees. So, I was scared. I was afraid that it would be a waste of time to go to hotel school. So, I started with a summer job.
...But, I loved the hotel business, so I kept going to summer jobs to see if I could do it or not. I went to hotel school in northern Italy but had a big problem because of communication. So, I (learned) to read lips because I had no interpreter. Then I went to America to learn English, because I thought it was important to learn English as a second language. English is the most widely used language in the hotel business. I worked in Boston, San Francisco and Honolulu, Hawaii. And, I went to Gallaudet University...
Gallaudet teaches you to communicate with the deaf. Gallaudet is a very good school. I am on its board of associates. I also go there two times a year. Anyway, from Gallaudet I transferred to Rochester Institute of Technology where I studied for a year in the college of business. From there I went to Cornell for hotel management. I got job experience at that time...
When I took over, I made a big difference because I knew the hotel business. At that time, I was the youngest and -- the Italian newspapers said -- the hottest hotel manager in Italy...."
You can read the whole story (and see his picture) at:
http://www.abilitymagazine.com/lemmon_wirth.html
