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Mental Health Matters: 25 Simple Self-Care Habits to Prioritize This May (Without Overwhelm)
Mental Health Matters: 25 Simple Self-Care Habits to Prioritize This May (Without Overwhelm) Hey friends! May is Mental Health Awareness Month—so this is the perfect time to pause, breathe, and tune into what we really need. As a Deaf woman navigating daily stresses, I get how easy it is to feel overwhelmed. But caring for our mental health doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming. Let’s talk simple, doable self-care habits that actually help—and build real consistency. Below are 25 small, meaningful habits. Try one (or five!) this month. No pressure—just small steps toward feeling steadier, calmer, and more connected to yourself. Why Small Steps Beat Big Resolutions Ever bought…
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Deaf History Isn’t Silent: How Sign Languages and Deaf Culture Were Pushed Aside by Oralism
In most classrooms, Deaf history is barely a footnote. Names like Laurent Clerc, Thomas Gallaudet, or the bold visual artists of the De’VIA movement don’t show up in standard history textbooks. The story we’re usually told is one where Deaf people were passive recipients of help from hearing saviors — a distorted narrative that centers speech over signing and conformity over culture. But the truth is, long before hearing institutions tried to dictate how Deaf people should communicate, Deaf communities had already been building languages, traditions, and identities on their own terms. Sign languages have been around for centuries. Deaf people have always created culture — in art, theatre, storytelling,…
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You’re Not Deaf Enough” vs. “I Am Deaf Enough”: The Battle Over Belonging in the Deaf Community
When people think about Deaf identity, they often picture someone who signs fluently, grew up in Deaf culture, and went to a Deaf school. But what about someone who became deaf later in life? Or someone raised in a hearing family with no access to ASL? Or someone who uses a cochlear implant and speaks? Too often, those individuals hear a painful message: “You’re not Deaf enough.” In response, many are fighting back with a powerful, simple truth: “I am Deaf enough.” Let’s break down what these phrases really mean—and why they matter. What Does “Deaf Enough” Even Mean? In Deaf circles, identity isn’t just about how much hearing you…
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Deaf People Are “Behind” in Education — Not Because We’re Slow, But Because the System Failed Us
Too many people look at Deaf students and assume we’re not smart. They see gaps in our reading levels, test scores, or graduation rates and jump to the wrong conclusion: that Deafness equals deficiency. But they don’t see the why. They don’t see the years we spent fighting just to access basic education. They don’t see the barriers built around us — invisible to hearing people but suffocatingly real to us. They don’t see that while hearing kids were learning, many of us were trying to survive. Let’s be clear from the start: Deaf people are not broken. The education system is. A System Built Without Us Education in most…
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2025 Blog Posts
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Serving More Than Meals: How Rochester Deaf Kitchen Redefines Access and Inclusion
“Food is a basic human right—but what happens when communication barriers block the path to that right?” That question lingered with me long after I attended the presentation on Rochester Deaf Kitchen (RDK), a nonprofit organization working at the intersection of hunger relief and Deaf culture. The experience did more than inform me; it shifted how I think about accessibility in ways that resonate deeply with what we’ve explored in SOCI-240. Rochester Deaf Kitchen isn’t just another food pantry. Founded by Zachary Ennis, RDK was born from a mission to close a glaring gap: Deaf individuals in Rochester, NY, face the same food insecurity challenges as hearing populations, but with…
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Deaf Identities, Intersectionality, and Resistance: Rethinking Deaf Culture Through Inclusive Lenses
Introduction Disability and Deaf studies have evolved dramatically in recent decades to reframe deafness not as a medical deficit but as a socio-cultural phenomenon. Gone are the days when deafness was universally seen through the lens of “loss.” Instead, emerging frameworks such as Deaf Gain have shifted the discourse to recognize deafness as contributing to human diversity and creativity. However, even within Deaf culture, dynamics of privilege and exclusion remain. Scholars have highlighted that the category “Deaf” has often privileged white, able-bodied, cisgender signers, marginalizing those whose experiences do not fit neatly into normative Deaf narratives. This paper explores the ways Deaf identities are shaped by intersectionality and history and…
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Understanding Deaf Culture: Identity, Language, and Community
When we think about culture, we often picture national flags, traditional foods, or distinctive ways of life. But culture runs much deeper. For the Deaf community, culture is not defined by geographic borders or visible customs, but by a shared language, rich traditions, and a profound sense of belonging. This article explores what Deaf culture is, how it has evolved, and why it matters, drawing from key research and contributions from pivotal figures in Deaf studies. What Is Deaf Culture? Deaf culture refers to the unique social beliefs, behaviors, art, history, and shared institutions of communities affected by deafness and who use sign language as the main means of communication.…
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Deaf Organizations and Leaders: Shaping the Future of Deaf Communities
When I think about Deaf leaders and the organizations that shaped them, it feels personal. These aren’t just names and logos. They are stories of people who pushed boundaries and made spaces where none existed before. Gallaudet University: Where Dreams Take Shape Gallaudet University isn’t just a school. It’s where Deaf culture breathes, debates spark, and futures are made. For generations, Gallaudet has been the heartbeat of the Deaf community worldwide. I can’t help but think of T. Alan Hurwitz. Born Deaf, he didn’t just sit at the table—he led it. Becoming the tenth president of Gallaudet was more than a personal achievement. It was a collective victory for every…
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Deaf and DeafBlind Space + Exercise
Out-of-Class Exercise: Deaf & DeafBlind Communities and Spaces Name: Donna MelenaCourse: SOCI-240 Deaf & DeafBlind Communities and Spaces by Professor Amiee WhyteDate: February 2025 Part 1: Community Cultural Wealth What is Community Cultural Wealth (Yosso, 2005)?Community Cultural Wealth (CCW) is a strengths-based framework that shifts the narrative from deficit thinking. Instead of viewing marginalized communities as lacking, CCW acknowledges the unique skills, knowledge, and social resources these communities possess, such as aspirational, linguistic, familial, social, navigational, and resistant capital. What is Deaf Community Cultural Wealth (DCCW)?DCCW is an adaptation of Yosso’s CCW, tailored to highlight the distinctive strengths within the Deaf community. These include the richness of ASL, shared lived…
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