Anytime...anywhere....not afraid to communicate.

On an airplane flight in one of his many business flights and being the only deaf person on board surrounded with hearing travelers certainly was not an excuse for him to keep quiet. Wherever he goes whether at a bar, a convention, or on an airplane there's never a lost opportunity to whip up a discussion with a hearing person anytime, anywhere...no problem. And communicate easily, unimpeded in real time conversations and not miss a beat or a single word. Never knowing that by introducing himself to a hearing person could open up a whole new level of networking. Just like the day on an airplane when he bumped into one of the top sports writer for The Kansas City Star newspaper Joe Posnanski who eventually wrote a story about this deaf man and his good friend, Greg Gunderson back in July of 2006. A story that I was directly responsible in reuniting these two old deaf friends who have not seen each other since the days when they were camp roommates at Boys Town.

Jason and engineers spent three years testing the device, working and reworking the design, and interviewing deaf people for ideas. When the prototype was done, Jason needed some people to test it. He contacted Mike McConnell, perhaps the nation’s best known deaf blogger. Mike said he knew the perfect guy.

He wrote: “Do you know about Greg Gunderson, who is trying to become the first deaf NASCAR driver?"

When Jason came across Greg’s name, he did not recognize it. But when he went to the Web site, he saw a photograph, one he had a hundred times before. It was Greg on a snowmobile. Jason remembered everything. This was his old camp roommate. He was trying for something big. And he needed help.

So, Jason got in touch, and they cried as they remembered. Jason’s Independence-based company sComm bought Greg his fire suit and helmet (with the words “Ubi Duo” prominent on both) and he offered Greg his invention to use on the show. This way, Greg could communicate with fans and media members and the other drivers on the show. This way, Jason’s invention could be seen by America.

See, Jason believes in destiny, too.

“The other day, I had a long chat with my brother-in-law on the Ubi Duo,” Jason wrote. “It was the first in-depth conversation we’d ever had. When I went over to their house, I used to be off to the side, alone. It was hard.

“Now, this device … it will change people’s lives. I know it. It will help deaf people do jobs. It will bring family members together. And it will help my old friend Greg become the first deaf NASCAR driver. I know it.”

Greg knows it, too. The story has to end happily. A few weeks ago, Greg came across a room key and he realized: It was to their room at Boys Town. Greg never knew why he kept that key — he was supposed to give it back at the end of the camp — but he did keep it. And every time he thought of throwing it away, something stopped him. Now he knew. He gave the key to Jason.

“What is the key to?” I type into the Ubi Duo.

“The future,” Greg typed.

Indeed. The future continues to look brighter with each passing day for sComm only because communicating with hearing people using the UbiDuo has proved its worth the weight in gold time and time again.  It's the little bold things like talking next to a hearing passenger sitting next to you while showcasing the face to face communication device to a fellow passenger that led to much bigger things. With the UbiDuo deafness becomes a non-issue anytime, anywhere and never an excuse not to communicate with any hearing person.

So, what's stopping you from communicating with a hearing person sitting next to you?  Your deafness? It certainly did not stop Greg Gunderson or Jason Curry.