Benro Ogunyipe

Benro Ogunyipe was born in France and raised in Nigeria before relocated to the United States when he was 10 years old for better educational opportunity for his deafness. Prior to completing a BA degree in Graphic Design from Gallaudet University, he was one of the founders of the Zeta Sigma Psi Greek organization. He became the first alumnae of the now inactive fraternity. Currently, he is employed by the Illinois Department of Human Services for four years as an Accessibility and Safety Specialist for an administration office of Compliance, Access & Workplace Safety that focuses on coordinating the accessibility needs and workplace safety for persons with disabilities in accordance with the Americans with Disability Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.

Benro has been actively involved with the NBDA for nine years. Initially, he first became involved with NBDA as a Peer Advisor for the Youth Empowerment Summit (Y.E.S.) during the NBDA Conference in Indianapolis, IN in 1998. He was chosen as one of the delegates by the Student Body Government of Gallaudet University to participate in the NBDA Conference in Houston, TX in 2000. In 2002, He was a co-Mister of Ceremonies for the Miss Black Deaf America Pageant in Detroit, MI. In the summer of 2006, he was a committee member planning the first Midwestern Regional BDA Conference that was held in Chicago, IL as a Public Relations Coordinator and solicited corporate sponsors for the conference in exchange for advertising their business resulted in thousand dollars. In the fall of 2006, he voluntarily provided workshop presentation for the first Southern Regional BDA Conference held in Atlanta, GA. His commitment with the local chapter Chicago Land Black Deaf Advocates (CLBDA) has become stronger. As a Vice President of the CLBDA, he convinced CLBDA to become one of the affiliated diversity organizations of the Illinois Association of the Deaf.

Benro is affiliated with various organizations including Chicago Club of the Deaf, Deaf Social Service Providers, National Association of the Deaf, Illinois Deaf Latino Association, and Western Suburban Association of the Deaf. Recently, he was appointed by the Governor of the state of Illinois to serve as a commissioner for the Illinois Deaf and Hard of Hearing Commission. As a board member of Chicago Area Interpreter Referral Service (CAIRS), he works with the other board members to ensure the effective operation of the agency in providing interpretation needs for the deaf community in metropolitan Chicago. In addition, he is an avid flag football player for the United States Flag Football for the Deaf. 

Currently, Benro attends graduate classes at DePaul University in Chicago, IL to pursue a Master’s in Management of Public Services (MPS) with a concentration in Public Administration. In his spare time, he enjoys his side job as a freelance graphic designer creating printed materials such as brochures, flyers, postcards, logos, program books, and posters for various occasions. Benro has online graphic design portfolio at www.in-ostudio.com.  

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