Did you ever wonder how people felt and how life changed when Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone? Or when the Deaf President Now movement made I. King Jordan the first deaf president of Gallaudet University? Or even when the first Commission for the Deaf in America was established in Texas? In all of these situations, no one could estimate the dramatic changes that would happen. Right now, at this very moment, we are changing. The "Information Age" - and this "Age of Technology" - cause change to happen every minute. Change affects all our lives, especially the lives of deaf and hard of hearing individuals. In less than one generation, TDDs have changed from bulky "monsters" into smaller machines with improved features and accessories. We have faxes, e-mail, and electronic chat which allow us to communicate in new ways in our home cities, our states, our country, and our whole world.

But, where do we want to go with this technology? The information and technology is now at our feet. What will we do with it? We must face these dilemmas together. We must explore and try to adapt technology to our needs, rather than adapting our needs to what technology gives us. The dream is out there, and we can make it happen today. Who would have even dreamed five or ten years ago that people would sign to each other or use an interpreter thousands of miles away? We here at KCDHH are just now making videoconferencing a reality, where two people at computers can sign to each other and carry on a conversation almost as if they were in the same room. Dreams can become realities, if we keep searching.

As you look through KCDHH’s web page or e-mail someone or even play your favorite video game, just remember when you did not have all these services that make life easier. Think about what you want to do and what you want to accomplish with technology in the future. The use of information and technology is our anchor, and our reality is anchored by our dreams.