I tugged at my sweater zipper, pulling it higher to block the nippy South Dakota air. With the weather looming at a chilly 45 degrees, it was apparent autumn was coming to a close as I walked toward the main building of the Communication Services for the Deaf. Situated in Sioux Falls, I silently reviewed the little of what I knew about CSD – the non-profit established in 1975; CEO Benjamin Soukup serves as the President of the Board of Trustees at Gallaudet University; the President of NAD – Bobbie Beth Scoggins – works at CSD as the company’s Chief Operations Officer.

But there’s much more to CSD than the untrained Deaf eye is familiar with, which is why the DeafNation crew visited the site of CSD with Rick Norris, an associate from the Corporate Communications department. Touring the headquarters, Norris shone light on the company and all that it had to offer….

Communication Services for the Deaf is, according to their website (www.c-s-d.org), a private, non-profit organization that is “dedicated to providing broad–based services, ensuring public accessibility and increasing public awareness of issues affecting deaf and hard of hearing individuals”. And they are able to do this, thanks to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, a series of laws passed by Congress to prevent the discrimination against qualified individuals based on their disability. This law also helped CSD receive financial backing from the government, enabling the non-profit to support and advocate Deaf people across the nation – with a total of 49 locations – in many different ways:

• Providing telecommunication relay services (TRS) and video relay services (VRS);
• Offering interpreting services, such as a mentoring program (http://c-s-d.org/default.aspx?pageid=18) and serving as a referral agency;
• Hosting community education programs (http://c-s-d.org/default.aspx?pageid=333);
• Hosting an annual leadership and literacy camp (http://www.nllcamp.com/) and a basketball camp;
• Developing and implementing Public Access Videophones (PAVs) in public places, such as airports (http://www.csdpav.com/);
• Operating an equipment distribution program;
• Offering community independent living services;
• Offering pre- and post-employment services;
• Offering senior Deaf adult services (offering events, transportation, and housing opportunities);
• Providing media outlets via SIGNews and CSDTV;

The list of what CSD offers barely begins – in addition to offering services and programs on a nationwide level, the company also has strong philanthropic roots, donating to the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, the National Association of the Deaf, and nearly 200+ organizations, both monetary and in-kind.

But the best part of the Communication Services for the Deaf? The man who founded it. People with passion are few and far in between, but Benjamin John Soukup, Jr. – a man whose name is often equated to “fervor” – has not only the drive to serve Deaf and hard-of-hearing people, but has hired many equally dedicated employees who share that very same vision. This is perhaps why, when CSD decided to have De’VIA artist Chuck Baird design 36”x48” mixed-media collages dedicated to six Deaf American leaders: Laurent Clerc, George Veditz, Fred Schreiber, Robert Davila, Frank Turk, Rosanne Rosen – that Soukup’s employees got together, agreeing to surprise their CEO with a collage dedicated to him in a well-deserved recognition for being a pioneer in providing human services for the Deaf and hard-of-hearing for 30+ years. Perhaps the South Dakota license plate had it right – the state was all about “Great Faces, Great Places”!

CSD is here for you! To read more about what CSD offers – and how you can benefit from the company as a Deaf individual – you can go to www.c-s-d.org to learn more!

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1. Meeting Famous Faces – and the Devil, too!
2. Taking the Initiative
3. Building and Crossing Bridges
4. And All the World’s a Stage…at The Rose with Linsay Darnall, Jr.
5. Visiting with ASADV (Advocacy Services for Abused Deaf Victims)
6. Our Columbus Colony Visit!
7. Helping Hands in Nebraska
8. The Audacity of (Deaf) Hope
9. NASRA 2008 Conference
10. Wisconsin By Your Side