09/28/2026
Watch as Hallenross co-founder Ben shares a little of his “origin story” and the role his father played in shaping the person and professional he is today.
Because behind the work we do are real people, real stories, and experiences that shaped our passion for communication and connection.
Hit play and get to know Ben a little better! 👏
For our non-signing friends and supporters, here's a transcript of Ben's story: Hi! My name is Ben Hall with Hallenross. Both my parents were deaf. They attended the Ohio School for the Deaf. Dad learned to operate a linotype machine at the school. A linotype machine was used to print newspapers back in the day. When he graduated, Dad went back to his hometown of Portsmouth, Ohio. There was a job opening at the Portsmouth Times so he applied. When they found out he was deaf at the interview, they apologized and said they didn't hire deaf people. Dad was speechless. He later heard through the deaf grapevine that there was a job in Sandusky with a small company that was hiring deaf people. So, he went there, stayed with a friend and applied for the job. It was a union shop. That meant after 6 months of work his name would be published in a union journal. If there were no objections to his work after the publication of his name, he'd get his union card. He got that journeyman's card which allowed him to work in any union shop in the U.S. He went right back to the Portsmouth Times, asked if the job was still available, gave them his journeyman's card and started work there. There was nothing they could do to stop him. He worked there for 30 years. He was a role model for what deaf people were capable of and the paper began hiring more deaf employees as a result. Truth.
Need an interpreter? We’re here to help.
📲 Request an Interpreter!
Call or Text: (614) 296-8937
📧 [email protected]
🌐 www.hallenross.com
