About

How It All Began
In May 2021, our founder, Rob Cookenour, experienced the emotional and financial panic of suddenly going deaf just three days after receiving the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. What followed was isolation and fear that shoved him into a new sense of purpose.

In January 2023, Rob faced another unimaginable loss: the unexpected passing of his daughter, Stephanie, at age 30. Her absence deepened his resolve to find joy in the face of grief — and to help others do the same.

Rob "StepDeaf" and Stephanie pictured below.

Selfie picture taken by Rob Cookenour sitting with his daughter, Stephanie Cookenour, in a booth at a resturaunt.

Went Deaf, Then Found My Voice
After receiving a Cochlear Nucleus 8 Implant from Vanderbilt in May 2023, Rob began to reconnect with sound — and with life. But perhaps more importantly, he discovered a new family: those living with disabilities. It was through this connection that the vision for this brand became clear. I've given myself the sign name of StepDeaf #stepdeaf as it's how I became part of the disabled deaf community. I wasn't born deaf but became deaf later in life, which made me as if a stepsibling to the community.

A New Kind of Accessibility
The Birth of a Mission
In April 2025, "Let’s Make Happiness Accessible™" was born. Not from a business plan — but from a conviction:

Instead of asking “what’s accessible to me?”…
What if we asked, “how do we make happiness accessible?”

I imagined writing this as a graffiti wish on a handicap accessible sign and so began the imagery and emotional want of my designs. This brand exists to embrace that question as every product we create carries that message. Your joy matters.

This Is Bigger Than One Life
Where We’re Headed
Rob’s wish is for the brand to carry on long after him — for people with mutual hearts to find their place in this mission and let it grow. The urgency is real, and so is the dream: to turn sketched designs into finished products, and a personal story into a shared legacy.

Click picture below and see tour of memories wall for my daughter.

Click picture below and see video of my idea for her first missed birthday party.
Click picture below and see shirts I designed to wear as a remembrance of Stephanie.

#StepDeaf #LetsMakeHappinessAccessible