For Deaf and hard of hearing children, books and stories are vital spaces where they can see themselves, feel understood, find community and belonging, and lay the foundation for confidence and identity development that will set them up for success throughout their lives.
‘It’s Like I’m EQ-ing My Own Brain’
This is a story of resilience, dark humor, and the technical challenge of mixing audio when your brain processes sound through a handful of electrodes instead of thousands of hair cells.
The Darkness Lifted
Hearing loss doesn’t have to be the end. It can feel like it, but it doesn’t have to be. Music is still possible. Life is still possible. There are ways to regain control, ways to find your own authorship through understanding. I want people to know that.
My Turning Point
Today, I wear my “HARD OF HEARING” hoodie proudly because I’m no longer hiding from my hearing loss.
Can You Hear Me?
In addition to conducting research, I realized that prevention is just as important, or even more important than treatment. Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is becoming increasingly prevalent among Gen Z—my peers—due to increased access to personal listening devices and loud entertainment events.
Building a Bridge Between Linguistics and Audiology
The internship last summer provided my first real chance to step into hearing science and learn the experimental side of speech perception under the tutelage of a senior researcher.
Captions, Please (Everywhere)!
It bears repeating: What improves access for a group with a specific disability invariably also helps the greater population.
How a Personal Need Turned Into Helping Others
I made one hat to solve problems, never imagining how many other adults and children would relate. It’s an honor to be able to give something back to the cochlear implant community that understands this journey so well.
My Aha Moment
Representation Matters: Why I Write for the Next Generation
As the first known Black author to publish a 10-book children’s series centered on deaf, hard of hearing, and disabled heroes, I’ve created what I once longed for: stories where children see themselves as powerful.