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Deaf alderman eager to use 'big mouth' - Peoria, IL - pjstar.com
New Lacon Alderman Mike Anderle figures he might have found a way to turn a mid-life limitation into an asset.
"I can't hear, but I've got sort of a big mouth, so maybe I can get my point across," he joked during a recent interview.
Anderle, 48, was one of two new City Council members seated last week. He beat another South Ward resident in April to claim the seat vacated by an alderman who ran unsuccessfully for mayor.
Anderle has been profoundly deaf since 1996 as a result of bacterial meningitis that kept him hospitalized for 30-some days and nearly killed him. He later had two cochlear implant surgeries, but they failed to restore his hearing.
The implants operate by replacing the natural hearing structure with electronic stimulation of auditory nerves, "but the meningitis didn't leave any nerves to stimulate," said Anderle's wife, Connie, who is a city employee.
A rugged former construction foreman who still seems uncomfortable in his status of long-term disability, Anderle saw the council seat opening as a way for him to contribute to his hometown, especially for someone with considerable experience with road and bridge projects.
"I've got a lot of knowledge of streets and stuff like that," he said, "and I thought maybe I could help."
Anderle reads lips fluently and speaks but does not use sign language. His sister, Jennifer Barrett, will assist him at meetings by typing a record of proceedings for him to read on a laptop computer.
"I do pretty fair at reading lips," but that gets difficult "when you get a group of people," Anderle said. Furthermore, "Some people don't like you looking at their mouth."
Barrett, who is a paralegal at a local law firm, said she would not create the type of record that a court reporter could, but she is a 100-word-per-minute typist who also is accustomed to texting with her brother. The recent meeting at which he was seated gave them a chance to start working out a sort of electronic shorthand that will keep him aware of what's going on without her typing every word.
"We're still trying to figure out what will work the best," said Barrett, who also is looking into adaptations of voice-to-text software.
The federal Americans with Disabilities Act requires, in general, that government units provide accommodations for people with disabilities at public expense. Indeed, a U.S. Department of Justice Publication titled "The ADA and City Governments: Common Problems" points out that "city governments often fail to provide qualified interpreters or assistive listening devices for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing at public events or meetings."
But it's generally up to a person who feels in need of special services to request them, said Scott Mulford, a spokesman for the Illinois Attorney General's Office. In this situation, there has been no discussion of that so far, though Anderle said he might use his small alderman's stipend to help pay for a new computer or software.
Barrett, meanwhile, said she expects to attend every meeting, strictly on a volunteer basis to help her brother.
"I'll get him to mow my lawn," she said with a laugh shortly after he was sworn in. Then, in a later interview, she added a further thought about the impact of her brother's public service:
"Hopefully, this will be inspiring to other people."
New Lacon Alderman Mike Anderle figures he might have found a way to turn a mid-life limitation into an asset.
"I can't hear, but I've got sort of a big mouth, so maybe I can get my point across," he joked during a recent interview.
Anderle, 48, was one of two new City Council members seated last week. He beat another South Ward resident in April to claim the seat vacated by an alderman who ran unsuccessfully for mayor.
Anderle has been profoundly deaf since 1996 as a result of bacterial meningitis that kept him hospitalized for 30-some days and nearly killed him. He later had two cochlear implant surgeries, but they failed to restore his hearing.
The implants operate by replacing the natural hearing structure with electronic stimulation of auditory nerves, "but the meningitis didn't leave any nerves to stimulate," said Anderle's wife, Connie, who is a city employee.
A rugged former construction foreman who still seems uncomfortable in his status of long-term disability, Anderle saw the council seat opening as a way for him to contribute to his hometown, especially for someone with considerable experience with road and bridge projects.
"I've got a lot of knowledge of streets and stuff like that," he said, "and I thought maybe I could help."
Anderle reads lips fluently and speaks but does not use sign language. His sister, Jennifer Barrett, will assist him at meetings by typing a record of proceedings for him to read on a laptop computer.
"I do pretty fair at reading lips," but that gets difficult "when you get a group of people," Anderle said. Furthermore, "Some people don't like you looking at their mouth."
Barrett, who is a paralegal at a local law firm, said she would not create the type of record that a court reporter could, but she is a 100-word-per-minute typist who also is accustomed to texting with her brother. The recent meeting at which he was seated gave them a chance to start working out a sort of electronic shorthand that will keep him aware of what's going on without her typing every word.
"We're still trying to figure out what will work the best," said Barrett, who also is looking into adaptations of voice-to-text software.
The federal Americans with Disabilities Act requires, in general, that government units provide accommodations for people with disabilities at public expense. Indeed, a U.S. Department of Justice Publication titled "The ADA and City Governments: Common Problems" points out that "city governments often fail to provide qualified interpreters or assistive listening devices for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing at public events or meetings."
But it's generally up to a person who feels in need of special services to request them, said Scott Mulford, a spokesman for the Illinois Attorney General's Office. In this situation, there has been no discussion of that so far, though Anderle said he might use his small alderman's stipend to help pay for a new computer or software.
Barrett, meanwhile, said she expects to attend every meeting, strictly on a volunteer basis to help her brother.
"I'll get him to mow my lawn," she said with a laugh shortly after he was sworn in. Then, in a later interview, she added a further thought about the impact of her brother's public service:
"Hopefully, this will be inspiring to other people."
