Meet the Individuals
The 2025 DeafBlind Awareness Week poster features five remarkable individuals from the DeafBlind community, each representing different life stages and pathways within the community.
Noah Richtmeyer-Weiner
Noah Richtmeyer-Weiner, 20, was adopted from Guatemala at 11 months old. He has just completed his 13th year at the Western PA School for the Deaf (WPSD) and will graduate next year. In addition to his studies at WPSD, Noah attends Mon Valley Vocational School for half a day, where he studies Warehousing, Culinary Arts, and Building & Grounds Maintenance.
Work Experience and Career Interests
Noah has gained work experience through positions at Goodwill Industries and CVS. He is currently seeking a summer job and would like to work at Giant Eagle grocery store. At WPSD, Noah works the Coffee Cart, where he has discovered a taste for coffee with lots of flavored creamer.
Interests and Hobbies
Noah has a passion for reptiles and currently cares for a Bearded Dragon named Fiona, a Russian Tortoise named Daisy, and a Ball Python named Lucy. He also has a dog named Abby. Noah is particularly interested in breeding Bearded Dragons and has overseen the hatching of approximately 70 baby Bearded Dragons.
His other interests include drawing, where he demonstrates considerable artistic talent, playing video games, and lifting weights. Noah is also a big WWE wrestling fan, particularly enjoying WrestleMania events. His favorite food is pizza.
Community Involvement
Noah has contributed to his community through volunteer work at the Animal Shelter, the Greater Pittsburgh Food Bank, and in his school cafeteria. These experiences have given him opportunities to give back while developing valuable skills and connections.
Laurie McBride
Laurie was born and raised in Ontario, Canada, on March 28, 1971, and began wearing hearing aids at the age of five. She was mainstreamed throughout her schooling, benefited greatly from an excellent speech therapist, and earned an Associate of Arts degree in Advertising Art and Graphic Design.
In 1999, Laurie moved to Iowa, where she continued her career in graphic design, working for weekly newspapers and a printing company. In the years leading up to 2012, her family began to notice that she often missed visual cues while driving at night or in the early morning hours. After further evaluation, she was diagnosed with Usher Syndrome Type 2C by Dr. Edwin Stone at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. This life-changing diagnosis inspired her to pursue a new career path, which she began in 2014.
Achieving a Bachelor’s degree had always been a dream for Laurie, though she once thought it was out of reach. In 2019, she realized this goal while working full-time as a DeafBlind Employment Specialist (DBES) at the Helen Keller National Center in Iowa. Committed to lifelong learning and professional growth, she returned to university in 2023 and earned her Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership in 2025.
While Laurie’s vision and hearing loss present daily challenges, she remains resilient and positive, drawing strength from her supportive family, community, and employer. She credits them with making life not only manageable but meaningful.
In addition to her professional work, Laurie is dedicated to personal growth and fitness. She trains at Summit Martial Arts, where she has advanced to a purple belt with a black stripe. During the 2024–2025 season, she competed in ATA Taekwondo tournaments and became the Iowa State Champion in Traditional Forms, Traditional Weapons, and Sparring in her division.
As both a DBES and a DeafBlind individual, Laurie is passionate about empowering other DeafBlind people to reach their own goals and live fulfilling lives.
Laurie was first inspired by Helen Keller’s story in the fourth grade and has long admired Keller’s advocacy and unyielding self-advocacy. Laurie strives to remind the world that vision and hearing loss do not diminish a person’s value or voice. She lives by Helen Keller’s timeless words: “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” Laurie firmly believes that none of us are truly alone — together, we can achieve great things.
Dr. Francis Joseph Casale
Dr. Francis Joseph Casale was born deaf on January 14, 1947, in Hartford, Connecticut. He attended the American School for the Deaf before pursuing higher education at Gallaudet University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Art. He continued his studies at California State University, Northridge (CSUN), earning a Master of Arts in Painting and a Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics. After graduating from CSUN, Dr. Casale worked as both an artist and professional photographer. In 1974, feeling called to serve God, he attended the Christ for the Nations Institute in Dallas, Texas, where he earned an Associate of Arts in Practical Theology. He later received a Doctor of Theology (ThD) and a Ph.D. in Counseling Education from International Seminary in Florida.
Ministry and Service
Dr. Casale has served as a missionary in multiple countries, including Japan, Korea, Singapore, and Honduras. Together with his wife Kimie, he founded two Deaf churches in Japan and one in California. In 1994, he was ordained as Pastor of the Church of God (Anderson, Indiana). Throughout his career, Dr. Casale has been a sought-after guest speaker and educator, teaching at workshops, rallies, conferences, and retreats across the United States. He is a licensed Clinical Temperament Therapist and a member of the National Christian Counselor Association.
Leadership and Media
Dr. Casale has served on the Board of Directors of Silent Blessings/Deaf Kids Connect and as Missionary Director of the Christian Deaf Fellowship. He was also a former member of the Advisory Council for Helen Keller National Center. From 2001 onwards, Dr. Casale appeared as an Italian chef on the TV program “S. Wonder’s Workshop,” produced by Silent Blessings Inc. The program has been viewed worldwide via Trinity Broadcast Network (TBN) and continues in reruns.
Journey with Vision Loss
In 2000, Dr. Casale’s sight began to decline due to Retinitis Pigmentosa, a condition he had lived with for many years. Despite his vision challenges, he continued pursuing his passions, including his love of driving and his dream of becoming a NASCAR racer. When his sight was completely gone in 2011, he attended Helen Keller National Center for training in 2012 and returned as needed for additional support.
Dr. Casale currently serves as Senior Pastor of the Greater Indianapolis Deaf Ministry church in Indianapolis, Indiana. He and his wife Kimie have two grown daughters and two grandchildren, and they reside in Indiana.