By Colin Walsh

In the early 1980s Troy Hammond signed up for a humor writing class at Ohio University in Athens. The final exam, getting on stage and doing a standup routine, cemented Hammond’s love for comedy and paved the way for a great American success story.

Hammond is a blind standup comedian who has been making a living out of laughter for the last 20 years. His career has found him sharing the stage with comedy greats such as Dave Chappelle, Jan and Dean, Drew Carey and Rich Hall.

Hammond describes his comedic style as “dark and enlightening”, saying he draws his material from the world around him and tries to share his unique perspective with his audience. Hammond may use his disability to enlighten, but isn’t necessarily afraid to poke fun at himself from time to time.

“I work with a lot of comics who might decide to go to a strip club after a show,  which is pretty much an exercise in irony for me,” he said.

In addition to touring the country with his standup material, Hammond has also been involved with motivational speaking, made appearances as a guest DJ on CD101, done animation voice-over work and worked as a song writer. In 1984 he was awarded the Commendation For Comedic Achievement from the Ohio State Senate and was ranked 23rd in the nation in the American Collegiate Talent Showcase that same year.

With enough experience under his belt, Hammond isn’t afraid to give anything he is interested in doing a shot.

“Give it your best,” Hammond said. “If you don’t succeed at least you know you tried. And when you do succeed, it is sweet.”

Hammond said he doesn’t have any favorite moments  in his 20 years as a comedian because he has loved every second of it.

“I’ve just been having a ball for 20 years,” he said. “Even the bad situations turn out good for me.”

In recognition of Disability Awareness Month, Comedy Caravan has teamed up with the Disability Resource Center to bring Hammond to UK. For more on Troy Hammond, visit his Web site at www.troyhammond.com.

Troy Hammond will perform Wednesday at 7 p.m, at The Cat’s Den as part of the weekly Comedy Caravan series. The event is free and open to the public.