Tilting The Lens

Sinead, a visibly disabled white woman with shoulder-length brown hair wears a red coat with golden accents. Her hands are on a keyboard in front of her. Sitting beside Sinéad is Haben, a Black woman with long dark hair, gold earrings, and a blue and white dress. She’s reading braille on a computer that’s not visible under the table. They’re both smiling.

Disabled educator & author, Sinéad Burke founded Tilting The Lens to increase accessibility in fashion. The industry has already mainstreamed glasses, and one day all our disability accessories, from canes to clothing that flatters unique bodies, will be equally accepted. Thank you, Sinead and Emma!

World Health Day 2023

WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros and I are discussing the report in his office. We’re sitting in armchairs, both wearing face masks, and my braille computer is in my lap. The small round table between us has the WHO flag, and on the wall is a framed image of the WHO’s Headquarters building in Geneva.

It’s World Health Day! I met with World Health Organization Director-General Dr. Tedros to help launch the Global Report on Health Equity for Persons with Disabilities. Share it with your local health agencies & schools. Tell them to remove barriers facing disabled people.

Guide Dogs and Green Vests in London

Mylo & I standing before the River Thames across from Parliament and Big Ben. Mylo, a German Shepherd, wears a brown leather and metal harness from The Seeing Eye in New Jersey.

In London we’ve received a lot of, “If he’s a real guide dog why isn’t he wearing green?” First of all, blind people can & do style up their dogs. Second, guide dog schools exist all over the world with many variations. It’s the training that makes a guide dog, not the outfit. Believe blind … Read more

Visiting the Anne Frank House

Inside the gift shop stands a detailed, 3D model of the museum. The tall, narrow house on the right is Anne Frank’s house, and I’m gently feeling the interior layout.

At the Anne Frank House, a wonderful guide led us on a touch tour: a sculpture of Anne writing with a fountain pen, the original bookcase that concealed the secret annex, steep ankle-twisting stairs that were challenging for my guide dog Mylo (he managed with assistance), empty rooms carrying the immense loss of the Frank … Read more

Mylo meets Milo the Horse

Milo, a black horse with a white blaze, pokes his head through the fence of his paddock to sniff my hands. Beside me, Mylo, my German Shepherd dog, wears a goofy smile with his tongue licking his nose. Photo by our friend & equestrian guide Lauren Janicki.

Milo, a lovely horse, meets Mylo, my Seeing Eye dog. To their surprise and delight, they both have humans who went to Harvard Law!

Ableism at the British Museum

Haben, a Black woman wearing a puffy coat and face covering, feels a large stylized boat in a crowded museum. Her German Shepherd Seeing Eye dog looks up in alarm when a sightie starts angry poking his person. The hand of ableism appears white, and there’s a smart watch on their wrist.

Only blind people can touch ancient treasures at the British Museum, but this jealous sightie can’t handle it. The museum has an astounding number of ancient sculptures not covered in glass or even roped off. Signs next to them prohibit touching, but that ban is for the sighted. On the same sign is a symbol … Read more

Delivering a Marriage Application in Atlanta

Seeing Eye dog Mylo and I stand on the steps of the Lewis R. Slaton Courthouse. I’m smiling and signing ILY. Behind us, the courthouse doors glow golden in the sun.

I delivered a marriage application for a dear friend. Serving as an officiant, celebrating two people’s love for each other, is one of the most beautiful experiences. Feeling incredibly grateful. Happy to share that everyone at the courthouse was welcoming, too. The clerk said, “Congratulations!” My role, officiant not bride, was quickly clarified, but that … Read more

World Braille Day

Brailling on a beach in Alaska. A small, secluded island full of evergreens sits in the middle of Gastineau Channel, and on the far shore rise mountains. I’m smiling as I hold a cone on top of a large, snow-covered log. The log has twenty-five Spruce and Hemlock cones half submerged in snow. The cones spell: brrraille! Photography by Cameron Byrnes.

Happy World Braille Day! Louis Braille, a blind teacher, dreamed of a way for his students to enjoy books on their own. How would one read or write without sight? He invented a tactile reading system used by millions of blind people, and his birthday is now a day to celebrate this marvelous way to … Read more

Delivering a Lecture at the Lighthouse Guild

Three people standing by a podium that says Lighthouse Guild. Dr. Calvin W. Roberts, President & CEO of Lighthouse Guild, holds up a large glass, diamond-shaped award with my name on it. I’m standing in the middle, smiling and holding my braille computer. On my right stands Dr. Alan R. Morse, a professor at Columbia University’s Department of Ophthalmology and president emeritus of Lighthouse Guild.

I was honored to deliver Lighthouse Guild’s very first Dr. Alan R. Morse Lecture in Advocacy! They supported my college education through a scholarship, and back then I never imagined that I would one day become a disability justice leader. Thank you, Lighthouse Guild! Let’s keep lifting up disabled advocates! Do you know a blind … Read more