Karen Putz

Who is This Karen Putz Gal?

Writer. Deaf Mentor. Mom.  Not necessarily in that order.  I present those three to you here because this is the business site where you can order up a slice of Karen Putz to go.  I can whip up articles, provide Deaf Mentor services and offer support to parents of deaf and hard of hearing kids.  That’s me, the gal with many hats, who can juggle spinning plates.

I grew up hard of hearing and at the age of 19, I became deaf from a fall while barefoot waterskiing. That’s right, thanks to a wacky gene in my family, I climbed into the boat deaf, except I didn’t realize it at the time. I figured I just had water in my ears. Weeks later, I transferred to Northern Illinois University and that’s where my journey with American Sign Language began.  I figured if I was going to be deaf the rest of my life, I might as well be the best deaf person I could be.

Does She Have Any Experience?

I have a B.S. in Counseling and an M.A. in Rehabilitation Counseling.  After working a few years at a Center for Independent Living, I quit my job to stay home and raise my three deaf and hard of hearing kids.  Along the way, I worked part-time in various jobs, including teaching Conversational Sign Language at a local college and working for a writing company.  I am now employed full-time at Zvrs as a Sales Manager for Illinois and Wisconsin and as a National Manager for VCO.

I work as a Deaf Mentor in early intervention, providing support and information to families with newly-identified deaf and hard of hearing babies.  I am a board member of Hands & Voices, a parent-driven organization that is dedicated to providing non-biased support to families with deaf and hard of hearing children.  I am the founder and former President of Illinois chapter of Hands & Voices and a current board member.

I also love to write.  My speciality is non-fiction articles–I especially enjoy learning about other people and weaving their stories for others to read.  My work can be found at Disaboom, Parenting Squad, Chicago Moms Blog, A Deaf Mom Shares Her World and Jobs, Careers and Callings.