DBC Conference Vlog #6: Transcript

Sunday, 06 July 2008

DBC Conference Vlog 6: AG Bell Builds Another Wall

Eberwein: Hi! I am back home from the DBC Conference and Rally! And boy, what a grand time I had there!

Here in this vlog, I would like to describe what happened with the walkway. A walkway is a sort of tunnel that people can walk from building to building without going outside, especially during bad weather.

Well, when the DBC reserved the Hyatt hotel, we were thrilled because it was located right across from where AG Bell held their conference at Midwest Airlines Center and especially because there was a walkway between the hotel and the Center. The walkway would make it much easier for the hearing parents and others at the AG Bell conference to "hop over to" our free conference and check us out. The DBC made sure to have the conference as accessible as possible with ASL- English interpreters throughout the program.

However, just one day before the conference started on June 27th, the Hyatt sales manager contacted DBC and expressed his regret that the walkway would be closed for the duration of our conference. Naturally, the DBC was extremely disappointed to be denied the chance to make it easier for AG Bell people to come over to our conference.

Here's what the blocked walkway looked like:

(Walking through the walkway and showing the sign saying "This entrance is closed. For today's events, please use the main entrance located at Fourth Street and Wisconsin Avenue.")

So it was actually closed off the whole time we were there.

Who made that decision?

The Hyatt sales manager verified the message he got that AG Bell had requested to have the walkway closed. AG Bell had requested that of the Midwest Airlines Center because the Center owned the walkway to the Hyatt hotel. To clarify, the Midwest Airlines Center person shared with the Hyatt personnel that it was indeed the AG Bell people who made that request.

Well, after some inquires, we learned that AG Bell denied that, and claimed it was entirely the Midwest Airlines Center's decision.

Are they pointing fingers at each other? Let's see what AG Bell had to say:

(Showing quote from newspaper article "…the walkway was closed not at (AG Bell's) request, but by the convention center." Catherine Murphy, AG Bell Communications Director, to Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, June 30, 2008)

Indeed, AG Bell Communications Director Catherine Murphy had denied that they made the request and that the Midwest Airlines Center personnel had wanted it on their own.

Well, in the email that the Hyatt person sent us, he specifically quoted the Midwest Airlines Center person as saying:

(Showing quote "AG Bell requested the walkway to be closed." Midwest Airlines' Russ Staerkel to Hyatt Hotel's Sales Director, June 26, 2008.)

Who is telling the truth? We don't know. Nevertheless, the DBC is really disappointed that the walkway had been closed between us and the AG Bell attendees. Let's hope that someday, there will be no more barriers to parents accessing information to make the right choice for their Deaf children.

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