I am Deaf-blind, and I almost missed my first lesson about Helen Keller. In second-grade U.S. history, my teacher scheduled Helen Keller’s story after a lesson in square-dancing. I remember my heart racing as I danced a do-si-do with my not-so-secret crush. So when our teacher told us about Keller, I was not-so-secretly distracted. But … Read more
Last week the Texas State Board of Education took a step to remove Helen Keller from the K-12 social studies curriculum. The second largest state in the nation may soon stop teaching students about one of the most widely admired disability rights heroes. She is often the only disability rights advocate kids learn about. Kids … Read more
“You just came back from dog jail, huh?” Aunt Nunu nudged my arm. I laughed. “Exactly!” I’d just spent three weeks training at The Seeing Eye, the world’s oldest guide dog school. “We had to wake up every morning to take our dogs out at 5:30 AM.” “Are you kidding me?!” “I wish. We worked … Read more
My friend Treshelle Edmond is a Deaf actress and phenomenal communicator. We met up after her performance in “Children of a Lesser God,” now playing on Broadway. The play spotlights Deaf culture, and many Deaf actors, directors, and community members contributed to the show’s success. Treshelle introduced me to her friends. One after another, each … Read more
Maxine, the sweetest, smartest, sneakiest Seeing Eye Dog died on Monday April 16, 2018. Maxine loved wearing her harness and going on adventures. If I wanted to walk with her, though, I had to earn that right. In our first week together she crashed me into planters, chairs, and even stairs. “It takes time to … Read more
On April 4, the American Foundation for the Blind presented me with the Helen Keller Achievement Award! Helen Keller has had a huge influence on my life — her books, her advocacy, and especially her incredible spirit. Receiving this award is a tremendous honor. I’m determined to devote my life to advocacy, just like Helen. … Read more
Chris Hadfield is a retired Canadian astronaut and former commander of the International Space Station. During one critical spacewalk, floating anti-fog got into Hadfield’s eyes, making him temporarily blind. Later, in his TED talk, Hadfield described his thought process: “Okay, I can’t see, but I can hear, I can talk, Scott Parazynski is out here … Read more
Unbeknown to most employers, people with disabilities sparked the creation of many of the technologies we use today. Through my work as a disability rights lawyer, and my personal experiences as a deafblind woman, I have spent a significant amount of time studying the disability experience. The biggest barriers in the workplace are architectural, digital … Read more
Maxine, the little legal rebel, is on the cover of the ABA Journal! It’s America’s leading legal affairs magazine. ABA journalist Stephanie Ward wrote this wonderful article about my disability rights work. Image Description: Maxine, a German Shepherd guide dog, sits front and center. Around her neck is an orange bandana that says, “Legal Rebel.” … Read more
BET and Black Girls Rock produced an amazing video celebrating my disability rights work. If you missed it on TV yesterday, you can watch it here. Also, here’s the video of actress Rutina Wesley honoring me with the Making A Difference Award. This award would not be possible without an incredible community of family and … Read more