the blaze strategy

For many years, David Cohn, co-CEO of marketing agency Civic Entertainment Group, “downplayed” his deafness, partially because of how marketers would react.

“If my clients realized how much I was struggling, I was concerned they wouldn’t hire me,” said Cohn, who co-founded Civic over 25 years ago. “While I identified as a deaf person, of course, I never really identified as disabled.”

But now, Cohn is embracing his deafness and launching a consultancy practice within Civic focused on accessibility. One of the goals, he said, is to ensure high-profile brands better prioritize the disabled community.