Meet the Deaf-Blind Lawyer Fighting For People With Disabilities

POPSUGAR

31 Jan 201804:52

Summary

TLDRThe video script narrates the experiences of a deafblind individual who often finds themselves as a pioneer in their unique situation. They emphasize the importance of self-advocacy and problem-solving, highlighting an incident where they successfully advocated for accessible menus in a college cafeteria. The speaker also discusses the challenges faced by students with disabilities in accessing information and technology. They use a combination of sign language, print on palm, and digital Braille display for communication. The script underscores the need for accessible technology and qualified teachers in schools. Furthermore, it addresses the barriers posed by digital environments, particularly websites, and the speaker's efforts to provide training to organizations on making their technology more accessible. The narrative concludes with a call to action for society to focus on removing barriers and fostering inclusivity for the 57 million Americans and 1.3 billion people worldwide with disabilities.

Takeaways

👣 **Pioneering Spirit**: The individual with deafblindness often finds themselves in situations where they must be pioneers due to the rarity of their condition.
🚫 **Encouragement Through Challenge**: Friends and acquaintances are encouraged not to tell the person they can't do something, as it motivates them to find solutions.
🎓 **Educational Training**: A teacher trained the individual in how to travel as a blind person, including intentionally creating situations to learn problem-solving.
📚 **Access to Information**: Students with disabilities often lack access to information and technology in schools, highlighting the need for accessible technology and qualified teachers.
🌈 **Deafblindness Spectrum**: Deafblindness varies in degree, with individuals using a range of communication methods from sign language to digital Braille displays.
💻 **Technology for Communication**: The person primarily uses a keyboard and digital Braille display for communication, where others type and they read in digital Braille.
🚶‍♀️ **Navigation and Decision-Making**: The individual's role is to navigate obstacles, while a guide assists by following their decisions.
🧳 **Self-Advocacy Skills**: Teaching others about one's needs helps build self-advocacy, as demonstrated by advocating for accessible menus in a college cafeteria.
🏛️ **Legal Rights and Compliance**: Knowledge of legal rights, such as those under the Americans with Disabilities Act, empowers individuals to request compliance and change.
🌟 **Cultural Impact**: Advocacy can lead to significant cultural shifts, as seen in the cafeteria's adoption of accessible formats.
🏫 **Innovation in Higher Education**: Harvard Law School, without prior experience, worked with the student to pioneer accommodations using assistive technology and high expectations.
🌍 **Global Impact**: There's a large population of individuals with disabilities worldwide, emphasizing the importance of making technology accessible to include them.
🛠️ **Digital Barriers**: Many websites and digital platforms present accessibility barriers, which can be addressed by making technology more user-friendly for all.
🔧 **Societal Change**: The focus should be on changing societal structures and removing barriers rather than altering the behavior or capabilities of individuals with disabilities.
👥 **Community Inclusion**: Everyone has a role in identifying and addressing barriers to make communities more inclusive for people with disabilities.
🔑 **Solutions to Challenges**: Recognizing and finding solutions to challenges faced by individuals with disabilities is a beautiful and rewarding process.

Q & A

What is deafblindness and how does it affect a person's ability to navigate situations?
-Deafblindness is a rare disability that affects a person's ability to both hear and see. It often requires individuals to be pioneers in new situations and to develop problem-solving skills to navigate obstacles, as traditional methods of communication and information access may not be available or effective for them.
How did the speaker's teacher help them learn to travel as a blind person?
-The speaker's teacher trained them in traveling by intentionally having them miss their stop, which forced the speaker to learn how to problem-solve and deal with unexpected situations.
What challenges do students with disabilities often face in schools?
-Many students with disabilities face challenges such as lack of access to information, inadequate technology, and a shortage of qualified teachers who can provide the necessary training.
How does deafblindness manifest, and what communication methods are used by those affected?
-Deafblindness is a spectrum, with some people having limited vision and hearing. They may use a variety of communication styles, including sign language, print on palm, and assistive technology like digital Braille displays.
What is the speaker's primary method of communication?
-The speaker primarily uses a combination of a wireless keyboard and a digital Braille display, which allows others to type messages that the speaker can read in digital Braille.
How does the speaker's guide dog assist them?
-The guide dog's job is to navigate around obstacles, while the speaker makes decisions and follows the dog's lead.
What self-advocacy skills did the speaker develop during their younger years?
-The speaker developed self-advocacy skills by teaching people around them about their needs, which included advocating for accessible information in places like a college cafeteria.
How did the speaker address the issue of inaccessible menus in a college cafeteria?
-The speaker researched their rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act and then approached the cafeteria manager, explaining the need for compliance and accessible formats for menus.
What was Harvard's initial response when the speaker, a deafblind individual, applied to Harvard Law School?
-Harvard informed the speaker that they had never had a deafblind student before, highlighting the pioneering nature of the speaker's application.
What barriers does the speaker identify as being most prevalent for people with disabilities?
-The speaker identifies digital barriers as the most prevalent, with many websites and online technologies not being accessible to people using screen readers or other assistive technologies.
How does the speaker propose to make society more inclusive for people with disabilities?
-The speaker suggests focusing on changing society and removing barriers rather than pressuring people with disabilities to change. This includes making digital technology accessible and raising awareness about various types of barriers that different individuals may face.
What advice does the speaker give for identifying and addressing barriers in one's community?
-The speaker advises looking around for barriers that affect different groups, such as wheelchair users, deaf individuals, or those who are blind. Once identified, one should seek ways to make these areas more inclusive, which can involve advocating for policy changes or implementing new technologies.

Outlines

00:00

😀 Pioneering Deafblindness

The speaker discusses their experiences as a deafblind individual and the importance of self-advocacy. They share how friends and teachers encouraged them to find solutions rather than accepting limitations. The speaker also highlights the need for accessible technology and qualified teachers in schools to support students with disabilities. They emphasize that deafblindness is a spectrum and individuals use various communication methods, including sign language, print on palm, and digital Braille displays. The speaker's role is to navigate and make decisions while their guide follows. They recount advocating for accessible menus in a college cafeteria, which led to a positive change in the community. The speaker's journey at Harvard Law School, being the first deafblind student, is also mentioned, emphasizing that the environment, not disabilities, is the barrier.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Deafblindness

Deafblindness refers to a combined vision and hearing impairment. In the video, it is the primary disability being discussed, highlighting the unique challenges and experiences of individuals who are both deaf and blind. It is described as a spectrum, with varying degrees of vision and hearing loss, and is central to the video's theme of overcoming barriers and advocating for accessibility.

💡Pioneer

A pioneer is someone who is the first to explore or settle a new country or area, or to lead in a particular field or movement. In the context of the video, the speaker describes themselves as a pioneer in their experiences with deafblindness, often being the first person with this disability in certain situations and having to find solutions where none previously existed.

💡Self-advocacy

Self-advocacy is the ability of an individual to speak up for their own needs and rights. The video emphasizes the importance of self-advocacy skills for individuals with disabilities, as demonstrated by the speaker's experience in college when they had to advocate for accessible menus in a cafeteria, which led to a change in policy.

💡Accessible Technology

Accessible technology refers to devices, software, or equipment that can be used by people with disabilities without barriers. The video discusses the necessity of accessible technology in education and daily life for people with deafblindness, such as digital Braille displays and screen readers, which enable them to read and interact with digital content.

💡Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

The Americans with Disabilities Act is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination based on disability. The video mentions the ADA in the context of advocating for accessible menus in a college cafeteria, emphasizing the legal rights of individuals with disabilities to have equal access to information and services.

💡Digital Braille Display

A digital Braille display is a device that translates electronic text into Braille so that visually impaired individuals can read it using their fingertips. In the video, the speaker primarily uses a digital Braille display for communication, allowing them to read text typed on a wireless keyboard.

💡Screen Reader

A screen reader is a software application that converts text displayed on a computer screen into synthesized speech or digital Braille. The video discusses the challenges faced when using screen readers to navigate websites with accessibility barriers, highlighting the need for digital accessibility.

💡Inclusive Society

An inclusive society is one that is welcoming and accessible to all people, including those with disabilities. The video calls for a focus on changing society to remove barriers rather than expecting individuals with disabilities to change. It encourages viewers to look for and address barriers in their communities to make them more inclusive.

💡Assistive Technology

Assistive technology includes any device or system that allows individuals with disabilities to perform tasks they might otherwise be unable to do. The video discusses the use of assistive technology at Harvard Law School to support the first deafblind student, illustrating how such technology can break down barriers in education and other areas of life.

💡Environmental Barriers

Environmental barriers are physical, digital, or social obstacles that prevent people with disabilities from fully participating in society. The video emphasizes that the primary barriers to inclusion are often environmental, not the disabilities themselves, and calls for the removal of these barriers to create a more accessible world.

💡Problem-Solving

Problem-solving is the process of finding solutions to problems or challenges. The video recounts an instance where the speaker's teacher intentionally had them miss a stop to teach them how to problem-solve when things go wrong. This skill is crucial for individuals with disabilities, as it enables them to navigate and overcome the unique challenges they face.

💡Communication Styles

Communication styles refer to the various methods people use to convey information and ideas. The video mentions a variety of communication styles used by individuals with deafblindness, such as sign language, print on palm, and digital Braille display, highlighting the importance of diverse communication methods to accommodate different needs.

Highlights

Deafblindness is a rare disability, and the speaker is often the first person with this condition in a given situation.

Friends of the speaker know not to tell her she can't do something, as that only encourages her to find a solution.

The speaker's teacher trained her how to travel as a blind person and intentionally had her miss her stop to teach problem-solving.

Many students with disabilities lack access to information and technology in schools.

Deafblindness is a spectrum, with varying degrees of vision and hearing loss.

People who are deafblind use a variety of communication methods, including sign language, print on palm, and digital Braille displays.

The speaker primarily uses a keyboard and digital Braille display to communicate.

The speaker's job is to navigate around obstacles, with her guide dog following her decisions.

Teaching others about her needs has helped the speaker develop strong self-advocacy skills.

The speaker advocated for accessible menus in a college cafeteria, resulting in a change in policy and culture.

Harvard Law School had never had a deafblind student before the speaker.

The speaker and Harvard Law School pioneered the way together using assistive technology and high expectations.

Disabilities are not the barrier - it's the environment that poses the challenge.

Digital barriers are a major issue, as many websites are not accessible to screen readers.

The speaker provides training to organizations on how to make their technology more accessible.

There are 57 million Americans and 1.3 billion people worldwide with disabilities.

The focus should be on changing society and removing barriers, rather than putting pressure on people with disabilities to change.

Everyone has a role to play in making our communities more inclusive.

Identifying and addressing barriers for people with different disabilities is key to creating a more inclusive society.

Finding solutions to challenges is a beautiful process that everyone can contribute to.