Since the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law by President George H.W. Bush 30 years ago, I have personally witnessed several excuses for lack of communication accessibility in public spaces. “We don’t have the budget for that.” “You must be a paid subscriber to enable subtitles.” “We don’t handle accessibility matters. So and so … Continue reading
Clear Face Masks: Making Communication Visible
Now you see me, now you don’t. Which face mask do you prefer? For the 30 million people in the U.S. who have hearing loss, clear, visible face masks allow us to read your lips and detect other visual cues, such as your smile. That is 1 in 8 people in this country who depend … Continue reading
Hearing Loss and the Pandemic: One Year Later
One year ago, most of us first experienced the reality known as COVID-19 life. The school where I work shifted to remote work operations at that time. For two months, I worked from home using all kinds of technology to keep in touch with my colleagues, parents, and students. Then we shifted back to in-person … Continue reading
The Thanksgiving I Fell Off a Horse
Pecan pie, stuffing, and falling off my Pappaw’s horse. That’s what Thanksgivings are made of. The earliest Turkey Day memory I have has my older sister and I riding bareback on our Pappaw’s horse Brownie. He picked the tamest, gentlest pony for us to ride out on his pasture. Picture a man with the looks … Continue reading
Advocacy Sometimes Means Being Alone
What a year. When my three children ask what has kept me calm during this time of social unrest and pandemic, here is my answer: “2019”. The twelve months leading into the current year taught me about sacrifice and advocacy, not only for my own children and students, but for myself as a teacher with … Continue reading
Twenty Five Years Ago Today
“You have until midnight to do your interviews and take your photos,” The Star County Newspaper editor said. Three of us junior reporters sat squished in the backseat of our editor’s mile-long 1970s-era Chevy. Two weeks before my career-defining internship with the major metropolitan newspaper, I had the assignment of a lifetime—and from a small … Continue reading
The Power of Connection During Social Distancing
I hope you are doing well during these unbelievable times. My family is making the most of our time at home and trying to stay healthy. For the next few weeks, my workplace and community will follow COVID-19 social distancing guidelines. What does that look like for a Lipreading Mom? The Power of Captioned Video … Continue reading
“But You Speak So Well”, and Other Comments (And Squeals) Overheard by Lipreading Mom
One of the most challenging aspects of my teaching job is lip-reading multiple speakers’ voices during group meetings. When hands go up for Q & A at the end of staff meetings, I try hard to decipher what is being spoken from multiple mouths scattered across the room. Of course, it helps when the meeting … Continue reading
It Took Two Years Before I’d Let This Much of Myself Show
Nearly 30 years after the Americans Disabilities Act was signed into law, I’ve noticed that some employees continue to hide their hearing loss at work or do not request accommodations. Fellow blogger Shari Eberts wrote a compelling post called How to Combat the Stigma of Hearing Loss, which I highly recommend reading. There are a … Continue reading
Lessons in Advocacy from ALDA
This weekend, I had the opportunity to present the workshop “Thriving with Hearing Loss” at the Association of Late-Deafened Adults (ALDA) national convention. This was my first ALDA event and, I must confess, ALDA members are some of the best advocates I have ever seen. Here is a glimpse at what I learned from listening … Continue reading
