As board member for the Kansas Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, it was an honor for me to be a workshop presenter at the Kansas Governor’s Conference on Aging 2026. This week’s event was held at the University of Kansas Conference Center in Lawrence, Kansas. The event’s conference tracks included: 1. Clinical … Continue reading
We’ve all heard of a “smart home” that allows you to access your house’s technology remotely. But have you heard of a “smart communication home”? In the final episode of Deafinitely Talking podcast season two, Dr. Anne McIntosh, CEO of Safe’N’Clear, Inc., and I discuss creating communication-friendly homes for those with hearing loss and deafness. … Continue reading
In the new documentary film, “Heard”, cinematographer and filmmaker Brian Ceci focuses the camera on five individuals, including himself, as they share their experience with hearing loss and deafness. Brian was inspired to create this film after finally embracing his lifelong hearing loss and after watching a similar film in the Spanish language. As a … Continue reading
What do hearing loss and humor have in common? Check out the first episode of Deafinitely Talking, Season Two, in which I interview guests Julie DeMatteo-Lane and Brad McKenna, founders of Down the Tubes Productions. They discuss their work of bringing hope and humor to the hearing loss experience through their podcast, blog, and presentations. … Continue reading
Shanna Groves with Deafinitely Talking and LipreadingMom.com talks with Emily Ogle, PMP, CPACC, DHS Trusted Tester, an accessibility professional who wants to improve the world bit by bit. She lives and breathes advocacy and is a stalwart ally for those with disabilities. The topic is Becoming an Accessibility Advocate. In this podcast, Shanna and Emily … Continue reading
Shanna Groves with Deafinitely Talking and LipreadingMom.com talks with author, TEDx presenter, and accessibility expert Meryl Evans. The topic is Performing Boldly with Deafness. In this podcast, Shanna and Meryl discuss: – Making online content accessible to people with disabilities – Finding solutions to accessibility issues – Pursuing the performing arts while living with deafness … Continue reading
Today was a landmark day with the new cochlear implant. I went to the movies and understood dialogue without captions. Seems unrealistic because I am deaf. Leaving the theater, I asked my husband: “When was the last time you remember me enjoying a movie without captions?” “About 28 years,” he said. We’ve been together 30 … Continue reading
My husband and I went to the theater a week after cochlear implant surgery. We saw the documentary “Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore” about Marlee’s career as a deaf actress and advocate for the deaf community. The film, directed by deaf actress Shoshannah Stern, explores Marlee’s rise to fame after winning the Best Actress Oscar … Continue reading
The film “Spencer“ premiered at my local AMC location this weekend. I had waited weeks for a chance to see what the filmmakers call a ”fable based on a true story” about the late Princess Diana. In all honesty, I wasn’t holding my breath that the film would be fully accessible to my hard of … Continue reading
Where are the movie captions? This is a question I have asked for the past 10 years since I became passionate about advocating for movie theater captioning. Since the Covid-19 pandemic, most regular movie-goers have stayed home and watched films from their televisions or mobile devices which allows for various captioning possibilities. But some prefer … Continue reading
