Howard Rosenblum was born to hearing parents who believed strongly in encouraging their kids to identify who they wanted to be, and to pursue that dream with a passion, pushing aside any obstacles that surfaced along the way.

"They told me I could be whatever I wanted to be," says Rosenblum. "A doctor, a lawyer, whatever. I should just strive for it." When he was 12 years old, enamored with the newly introduced captioning on TV, Howard was presented with a choice.

"My parents wanted me to come to see a deaf attorney give a talk. That deaf attorney was the only one in the country at the time, and his reputation had grown because of a deaf man he'd defended for murder. "The case actually inspired a made-for-TV movie," says Rosenblum. "I was interested, but what I really wanted to do was stay home and watch TV. I was still thrilled with captioning which had just become available on all the shows."

Overcoming the pull of the television that day, Rosenblum attended the presentation, and it turned out to be the moment in his life when he knew clearly what he wanted to do.

Howard went on to become the only Deaf lawyer in the State of Illinois in 1992. In the years since, he's worked as an attorney for Equip for Equality, doggedly pursuing accessibility rights for people with disabilities, educating, cajoling, and suing if necessary, all with an eye toward ensuring access for everywhere a person might go. Equip for Equality is the Illinois designated Protection & Advocacy agency mandated by Federal law. Now in its 10th year, the Midwest Center on Law and the Deaf (MCLD), the organization Rosenblum founded, has assisted thousands of deaf and hard of hearing people in attaining justice.

Asked what advice he'd have for future "big dreamers," Rosenblum had this to say: "Don't let anyone tell you that you cannot do it. There will always be naysayers. But you also have to figure out the realistic ways to achieve your dreams and go for it."