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Born in Connecticut, Alison moved to San Francisco after graduating from college in 1977. She had a range of jobs including working at one of the top rated restaurants, Aqua, and doing specialty painted finishes (faux bois and marble were her favorite). In 1991 she traveled to India on a whim, and it changed her life. After a number of trips to India she went to Calcutta in 1996 and worked as a volunteer at one of the Missionaries of Charity projects. Never having seen such poverty she felt compelled to return and do something to help. In 1998 she and her partner Bryan sold everything and moved to Calcutta. Uddami, a technical school that offers computer skills to families with low income, was started in 1999. Being in contact with so many accomplished deaf people led Alison to believe that if the different deaf groups she met worked together, a huge difference could happen in the quality of the lives of the deaf young people she knew. Her dream is that these young people some day will have communication skills that will not only give them more opportunities but connect them in a meaningful way to the global deaf community. |