I was born Deafblind, but I wasn’t born an advocate. Resisting ableism, racism and other forms of oppression is exhausting, ongoing work. We all face the choice to accept oppression or advocate for justice. Video created and directed by Oge Egbuonu. Music by Phantogram. Portrait photography by Shaniqwa Jarvis. Campaign by Levi’s. #LevisBecoming Video description … Read more
I was born in Oakland and grew up never imagining my work would be celebrated this way. I’m deeply honored Stephen Curry & his book club will read Haben: The Deafblind Woman Who Conquered Harvard Law
Gallaudet University, based in Washington, D.C., describes itself as “the only university in the world designed to be barrier-free for Deaf and hard of hearing students.” I first learned about Gallaudet from the guidance counselor at my high school who told me it would be perfect for students like me. I ultimately attended Lewis & … Read more
Like most universities, Gallaudet University reduced on-campus housing due to the pandemic and invited students with special circumstances to apply for housing. However, an investigation for this piece found a reality very different from promises made by the university. Four DeafBlind students who lived in the residence halls during the spring semester when COVID-19 hit needed … Read more
TIME Magazine celebrated my disability justice work by including me in TIME 100 Talks, a video series spotlighting influential people. I was surprised and honored. My excitement turned to disappointment when I checked the video — no captions, no audio descriptions, and no transcript. The TIME 100 video featuring me was not accessible to me. … Read more
The robot, shaped like a large cooler on wheels, zipped along somewhere ahead of me. My left hand clasped the smooth leather harness of my German shepherd guide dog. “Mylo, forward.” The speed of his four short legs complemented the strides of my longer two — call it the six feet fox trot. Together we … Read more
I published my very first essay in the New York Times! The essay appears in the Times’ special edition celebrating the thirtieth anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act: “What the A.D.A. Means to Me.” Today Hachette Book Group is releasing the paperback version of my book, Haben: The Deafblind Woman Who Conquered Harvard Law. … Read more
On Saturday Seeing Eye dog Mylo, Gordon, and I explored a new Bay Area neighborhood with woodsy trail-like sidewalks. The sun slid past the horizon as we made our way back to the car. Gordon walked on my right, swinging a flashlight. Mylo moved ahead on my left, guiding with his usual confidence. Then Gordon’s … Read more
As we stay home and practice physical distancing, there is something we can do to help protect our ability to fly with our dogs in the future. The U.S. Department of Transportation has proposed adding new restrictions for service dogs traveling on airplanes, chipping away at the freedoms advocates fought for decades to protect. My … Read more
We received another ray of hope this week. On March 25 Netflix released Crip Camp, a documentary that dives into the wild lives of disabled teens who grapple with isolation, find love at a summer camp, build community, and grow into fierce advocates for equality. Their joyous laughter, their tenacity, their creative ways of supporting … Read more