April is National Deaf History Month, a unique opportunity to highlight the importance of inclusivity and equal accessibility for those who are deaf, hard of hearing, or experiencing hearing loss within our local communities. During this time, we take a moment to reflect on the achievements of the deaf community, and bring awareness to a group that is largely ignored.
When we recognize Deaf History Month, we think of people around us who struggle with this unseen disability, and bringing more awareness and accessibility to those around us. Over the past several years, we have seen great leaps in technology and accessibility, and how deaf humans are able to use technology in a new way. Companies like Apple have developed a plethora of hearing accessibility options for deaf users. Things such as “Live Listen” to enhance the environmental sounds around those hard of hearing, FaceTime calls to provide greater ASL support, and visual LED alerts instead of text/ringtones, are all new features to better include the deaf community. This month amplifies deaf voices and pushes the envelope for more advancement in accessibility in the deaf community.
We hope that this month, you take time to immerse yourself in some resources to learn about the deaf community. Maybe that looks like reading some of the literature we’ve provided for you, maybe that looks like learning some basic ASL, whatever it is, we hope that you join us in bringing recognition to the deaf community around us!
