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
On Monday January 27, host Alex Trebek presented this clue on Jeopardy! Heather Nelson, a math teacher from Lake Oswego, Oregon, responded immediately. “What is Harvard?” The TV screen showed a photo of me with my first guide dog Maxine. She and I shared many walks through Lake Oswego when we lived in Portland. Congratulations, … Read more
“We shouldn’t have hired you.” The manager’s words sent chills down my spine. When I flew to Juneau, Alaska, after my second year of college, I thought I had this cool job leading tours of the Capitol Building. The recruiters knew about my deafness. My public speaking skills impressed them, and we agreed I would receive … Read more
My guide dog crossed the street, then jerked to a halt. “Mylo, forward.” My left hand held the leather harness that wrapped around his shoulders. “Forward,” I repeated. The harness shifted, and I knew he was peering back at me. Some barrier, unseen and unheard by me, blocked our passage. Cars created little earthquakes in … Read more