- News & Opinion
OPINION: Hearing Aids Are Assistive Devices, Not Miracle Workers
At 30 years old, I recently got my first pair of hearing aids. I was only 11 years old when my mother took me to an audiologist about my hearing. My friend’s mom had noticed that I often wouldn’t turn around when she was calling my name, so she told…
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OPINION: Ableism and Accessibility in a Post-COVID World
Since the beginning of time, accessibility has been a major issue for disabled people. Disabled people have trouble finding or keeping employment. Disabled students struggle in the classroom. Wheelchair users are often unable to enter restaurants and other buildings due to the lack of ramps or automated door openings, and…
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Viral Video Highlights Barriers for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Students
In mid-February, a video of an Oxnard college professor berating a hard-of-hearing student in front of their entire Zoom class for “not paying attention” went viral, causing dismay in the deaf community. The video had us reliving our pain from past experiences while worrying that this was still going on…
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Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Patients Need More Inclusive Hospital Care
Earlier this month, WBTV released an article that told the story of a local woman’s efforts to advocate for multiple interpreting systems in hospitals to help serve the deaf community at a time when mandated mask-wearing has made it nearly impossible for those who are deaf or hard of hearing…
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How To Make Protests More Inclusive for People with Disabilities
The following is the second in a series of columns in which Rikki Poynter will shed light on barriers faced by deaf and disabled people like herself in everyday life. This column describes the struggles of attending protests with disabilities including deafness and using a cane. As a disabled person…
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A Resident Describes the Struggles of Voting While Deaf
The following is the first in a series of columns in which Rikki Poynter will shed light on barriers faced by deaf people like herself in everyday life. Her first column, published on Election Day, describes the struggles of voting while deaf. I’ve been voting in United States elections since…
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