National Press

By Rikki Poynter

In August 2021 at 30 years old, I got my first pair of hearing aids after being diagnosed with hearing loss at 11. Why didn’t I get them when I was 11? I qualified for them, but they were too expensive. I don’t know the average cost of hearing aids back in 2002, but now in 2024, the average cost is $4,000 for a pair. With only one income in the household, a truck driver’s salary, there was no way we could afford them. And unfortunately, most insurance companies tend to not pay for them. 

(This is also partially due to the fact that when it came to my accessibility needs, they were ignored. My parents, even my deaf mother, did not put in the effort to learn what I needed and give me the tools to know what I needed as well.)

I grew up with zero additional accommodations for my deafness. In school, I had to go through class without ASL interpreters and notetakers. I had to watch films and documentaries in school with captions. I had to participate in reading aloud in English class without any way of knowing for sure where we were on the page. My grades suffered and I graduated from high school with a 2.6 GPA.

My social life took a hit. One-on-one socialization was okay, but being in a group setting was difficult. Being in two relationships with hearing men and going to family dinners where none of them signed (except for my first ex-boyfriend) meant experiencing Dinner Table Syndrome, where a deaf person is surrounded by hearing people who don’t know sign language and put little effort into equal communication which causes the deaf person to miss out on conversation.

As the years went by and my hearing loss became more progressive, it was becoming more difficult to do my work. I’ve been a content creator for over a decade and I speak in most of my videos. I edit my own videos, and for a few years, I had a company who would sponsor my captions. Unfortunately, that eventually ended, and I had to do the captions myself. Editing, and especially captioning, was becoming too difficult as no headphones were good enough for me to be able to understand myself. My speaking engagements on my own or at conferences were fine with the help of an ASL interpreter and captions, but once they were off the clock and it was time for the social events, I was left on my own. Attempting to lip read people while extremely loud music is playing on top of a few alcoholic drinks especially was practically impossible.

Then around April 2021, I learned about Vocational Rehabilitation Services (VR), an organization that aids disabled people in preparing for and finding a job. My friends have told me that they’ve received various things from them for their schooling and businesses like iPads, video phones, laptops, and, of course, hearing aids. So I sent in an email and crossed my fingers. 

After a few months of going over my business, finances, a new audiogram, and waiting to be approved, I was fitted for and then received my hearing aids the following August, all for free.

Getting them activated was definitely an experience. I went from barely being able to hear anything at all to suddenly being bombarded with loud voices in a matter of seconds. Hearing people are used to seeing edited videos of babies and adults smiling and crying upon hearing aid and cochlear implant activation. My experience, however, was pretty neutral. “Oh, wow. That’s loud.” I didn’t cry tears of joy like the people in the videos. 

(For the record, I’ve nothing against the people in the videos and their emotions are valid. I, as many others, question hearing people’s reaction to them when they’ve only seen one experience. An experience that is edited and doesn’t show the whole picture.)

My hearing aids are the Phonak Naida P50 with black hardware and pink earmolds. (I’m slightly kicking myself for not getting black earmolds now.) They have Bluetooth, something I absolutely needed for work. I could stream my entertainment and my work content directly into my ears and I understood so much more than when I was using headphones and AirPods. When I finally figured out that I could connect them to my iMac, it changed the editing game for me. And even better, I got to take extra joy in my third rewatch of One Tree Hill.

My social life became easier, especially having moved to Omaha last year. The downside is that it does feel like I have to hold the burden of making communication easier for the person I’m talking to rather than the other person trying to make it an equal effort, which is how it was before getting the hearing aids.

Editing and captioning my work is so much easier. It’s not perfect and I still struggle to understand myself sometimes especially if I’m not talking directly to the camera, but it is a drastic improvement compared to five years ago. I can get around better at networking during events. It’s still difficult to understand everything if I’m at a panel or workshop, so I still request ASL interpreters for that. 

While there has been a drastic change for the better, that doesn’t mean they’re perfect. I still can’t make regular phone calls. I still have to use an IP relay (think TTY, the typing telephone, but online). I still have to use captions while watching online content. I still need captions when going to the movie theater and watching TV. 

Getting over my nerves and taking a chance with VR is by far one of the best decisions I’ve made in my life. I know my life wouldn’t be the way it is now had I not gotten them, which is an unfortunate thing to say, but it’s true. 

But what I want people reading this to know is that hearing aids and cochlear implants are a big personal decision. Some of us want them, some of us don’t. Some of us qualify for them, some of us don’t. Sometimes they work for us, and sometimes they don’t work at all. Everyone is different and just because my experience has been a good one, doesn’t mean it’ll be the same for the next deaf person one comes across.

Rikki Poynter is a disabled (deaf, chronic pain and fatigue) accessibility consultant, writer, public speaker, and content creator. Originally a beauty vlogger on YouTube, she moved onto talking about her journey growing up as a mainstreamed deaf person trying to find her deaf identity and community all while trying to navigate an inaccessible world. Since 2013, she has talked about making the Internet accessible to deaf and hard of hearing people with captions, transcripts, and more. Her work has gotten the attention of many news outlets and she has worked with Apple, FireFox, Samsung, Google, and more.

By Andrea Jennings

National Disability Employment Awareness Month, known as NDEAM, is honored and observed annually each October. This year, in 2024, the NDEAM Theme is “Access to Good Jobs for All.”  Assistant Secretary of Labor for Disability Employment Policy, Taryn Williams, announces this year’s official theme in this video. When I read the title of this theme, what resonates with me is that society is finally moving past disabled individuals just “securing” a job. This empowering theme indicates that we seek viable, sustainable employment beyond compliance and merely compliant-based accessibility. This theme pushes for accessible jobs and careers at the forefront that have liveable wages and are psychologically and culturally safe environments for all. 

Often, when attempting disability inclusion, many companies focus only on compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and meeting specific diversity quotas. However, by solely doing it this way, disability inclusion is not being set up for success. While these efforts are essential, they often stop short of fostering authentic accessibility and inclusivity. Compliance alone, though crucial, can become more of a box-ticking exercise and performative if anything else. If companies limit their focus to meeting legal requirements and quotas, they miss out on creating a genuinely accessible workplace that benefits and empowers all employees, including those with disabilities. So, it is not the accessibility and equity programs at fault; it is how they are being implemented and, more importantly, why they are being implemented in the first place.

“Creating and developing programs that reflect multicultural communities is the way of the future. Disabled individuals and other underrecognized groups are overlooked and underserved and could benefit from universally designed infrastructures. Many are opinion leaders in their communities and can contribute to the workplace in many ways, given an equitable opportunity.” -Andrea Jennings

Compliance is the starting point. I can tell when a company is serious about wanting to drive real accessibility culture change in their organization because of their discovery questions when I first meet with them about securing my services to help them. One of the giveaways is that they genuinely want to learn themselves. They have done some basic research, just as one would if they were taking an out-of-country excursion. They wanted to know about a new culture carefully and enthusiastically because they did not want to offend that culture. The company’s representative usually wants to involve me in deeper layers of their company culture past a lunch webinar, and they want to truly learn how to integrate accessibility throughout their companies. They also have a budget because they value my expertise, lived experience, and Disability culture. Organizations seeking authentic change seek out disabled individuals like myself or work with larger companies like Easterseals, who work with authentic disabled individuals who understand that accessibility is not a one-and-done lab “program” or a one-person department, they know that it is an ongoing lifestyle and a community. Organizations that view accessibility as the bare minimum do little to address the attitudinal and systemic barriers that disabled employees face daily. Disability inclusion must go beyond quotas and metrics to focus on meaningful inclusion—ensuring that people with disabilities are not just present in the workforce but are also genuinely valued as contributors.

Breaking Down Attitudinal Barriers

One of the most significant challenges to workplace inclusivity is the persistence of attitudinal barriers. The JAN Accommodation Toolkit is an excellent resource for employers to learn to go above and beyond compliance. Many employers and coworkers make assumptions about the abilities of people with disabilities, often underestimating their potential. These biases are harmful to accessibility by creating an environment where disabled employees are viewed through a lens of pity or infantilization rather than as respected professionals with valuable skills.

For companies to progress, they need to foster an environment of open dialogue and respect. The key is to shift the paradigm from focusing on an individual’s disability to understanding and eliminating the barriers that prevent their full participation. For me, it was never my disability that prevented my inclusion. It was the barriers.

Tokenism: A Barrier to Authentic Inclusion

Tokenism is the practice of recruiting individuals with disabilities without even considering that there are qualified disabled candidates just to meet a quota. Tokenism limits opportunities for growth, real collaboration, and contribution. It is counterproductive to reduce employees to mere statistics. I am not a statistic but a human with lived experience. Tokenism not only hurts the experiences of disabled workers but also undermines the overall inclusivity of the organization.

Genuine inclusion requires integrating qualified people with disabilities into all aspects of the workplace, from leadership roles to daily operations. It also recognizes that because of systemic ableism, there are opportunities and experiences that disabled individuals have not been invited to experience. Organizations must invest in bridging that gap by offering development programs for disabled employees who want that support and providing them with the tools, mentorship, and opportunities they should have always had to set them up for success.

Recognizing the Value of Disabled Employees

Recognition and ensuring people feel seen and heard figuratively speaking is powerful. The benefits of going beyond tokenism are immense. Employees with disabilities are opinion leaders who bring many unique perspectives and skills to the table, which can enhance overall team performance. Studies have shown that diverse teams, including those with disabled members, are more innovative and adaptable.

By recognizing employees with disabilities as valuable contributors, companies can build a stronger, more dynamic workforce.

Authentic Inclusion: A Path to Innovation and Psychological Safety

Genuine accessibility and inclusion environments benefit all employees and lead to a more innovative and productive workplace. Companies that foster authentic inclusion create psychologically safe environments where all employees feel empowered to voice their ideas and concerns. How many times have you worked better because you felt comfortable? I am sure it has affected you in some way. Think about this: Are you talking to your employees about this subject to increase collaboration, innovation, and a better work environment that values diversity as an asset? Or are you talking about accessibility as an obligation? If it is the latter, it is time for a change. Please consider utilizing some of these ideas from the 31 Days of NDEAM published by the Department of Labor.

Accessible and inclusive workspaces are the future! They are places of growth, creativity, and psychological safety where everyone can be successful. These spaces level the playing field for success. Companies that embrace this mindset are aligned for better company morale and better positioned for long-term success.

Andrea Jennings, M.Mus., Series TV host and a producer for Access for All: Integrating Accessibility, is a disability & accessibility in media Strategist, director, and lead actress in an award-winning film. Passionate about music, law, and entertainment. Her journey led to creating Shifting Creative Paradigms – Leveling The Playing Field®, a multi-media social enterprise production co. that advocates for social justice through Disability culture, film, music, and art. She is a chair emeritus and current commissioner for an Accessibility and Disability Commission. Andrea’s scholarly contributions include co-authoring the pivotal health equity report, The Atlantic | OPRG’s report on “The Intersection of Health Equity in Communities & Business Strategy,” which addresses systemic challenges in health equity. Her work has graced prestigious platforms like Park Avenue Armory, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Rutgers University. Her work has also been recognized in Forbes, Billboard Magazine, The Atlantic Magazine, The Hollywood Reporter, and The New York Times.

By Leah Smith

In 1988, October was established by Congress as Disability Employment Awareness Month. The goal of this designated month is to “raise awareness about disability employment issues and to celebrate the contributions of workers with disabilities.” Inarguably, one of the biggest employment issues facing the disability community today is employment discrimination.  

According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, “employment discrimination is to treat someone differently, or less favorably, for some reason.” This unfair treatment can be because of your race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), national origin, disability, age (age 40 or older), or genetic information. 

Of course, there are hundreds of different types of disabilities and ways in which they might impact employment opportunities. Disabilities can be cognitive, physical, and/or emotional, and often limit one or more major life activities.

It is also important to note the definition of ‘major life activities.’ A major life activity is something you do every day, including your body’s own internal processes. Some examples include:  

• Actions like eating, sleeping, speaking, and breathing 
• Movements like walking, standing, lifting, and bending 
• Cognitive functions like thinking and concentrating 
• Sensory functions like seeing and hearing 
• Tasks like working, reading, learning, and communicating 
• The operation of major bodily functions like circulation, reproduction, and individual organs 

As of July 2024, the employment rate for people with disabilities was 37%, compared to 75% among their nondisabled counterparts. After looking at cases of disability employment discrimination, we can see that it usually falls within one of the 6 following categories:  

• Hiring Discrimination: When qualified applicants are not hired based on their disability, rather than their skills or qualifications. 
• Wage Discrimination: When employees are paid less than their colleagues for performing the same job because of their disability. 
• Promotion Discrimination: When an employee is overlooked for promotions or advancements due to their disability. 
• Harassment: A work environment where an employee is subjected to unwanted comments, jokes, or behaviors based on their disability creating a hostile or intimidating work atmosphere. 
• Failure to Accommodate: When an employer fails to provide reasonable accommodations to employees with disabilities.  
• Termination or Demotion: When employees are unfairly fired, demoted, or forced to quit due to their disability. 

Of course, any one of these forms of discrimination can also happen at the intersection of other marginalized identities, only further impacting the individual and the organization. Being the recipient of employment discrimination can have long-term emotional, financial, and psychological impacts on someone’s life; however, it can also cause reduced productivity, cause higher turnover rates, have legal and financial repercussions, and cause a lack of diversity and inclusion within an organization. The term ‘intersectionality’ was coined by professor Kimberlé Crenshaw to describe how race, class, gender, and other individual characteristics “intersect” and overlap with one another. As this term has evolved, she has further explained, “Intersectionality is a lens through which you can see where power comes and collides, where it interlocks and intersects. It’s not simply that there’s a race problem here, a gender problem here, and a class or LBGTQ problem there. Many times, that framework erases what happens to people who are subject to all of these things.” 

Employment discrimination, particularly when viewed through an intersectional lens, underscores the severity of this issue. 

For example, we see a 20% wage gap between median annual earnings among nondisabled and disabled women in the United States.1 This breaks down to be about a $10,000 wage gap between nondisabled and disabled women ($40,400 compared to $50,000). (US Census Bureau, 2020)

This also means that, overall, disabled women are only paid .50 for every dollar a nondisabled man makes. (US Census Bureau, 2020) 

Further, the wage gap between white disabled women and black disabled women highlights the intersection of race, gender, and disability in the labor market. On average, there is a 10-25% wage gap between black women with disabilities and white women with disabilities. Factors such as education, location, and type of disability can impact this figure.  

According to another study, disabled transgender individuals are 5 times more likely than nondisabled cisgender individuals to report being unemployed and looking for work for more than a month. These data only further highlight Crenshaw’s point about how intersectionality shows ‘where power comes and collides.’ 

As a disabled woman, I find the above statistics to be sobering. But I couldn’t help but want real stories of real people I knew. So, like any good millennial, I took it to social media. As a disabled woman, employee, and mom, I asked over 1,400 friends, “what has employment discrimination looked like for you?” I received over 77 responses like:  

• “Being told that they should have hired a nondisabled person instead.” 

• “Prior to the pandemic, jumping through a ton of hoops and needing to disclose private medical information to have partial work-from-home status, but it took a pandemic that killed millions for work-at-home to be approved/acceptable.”  

• “Given a hard ‘no’ because they were afraid I would get hurt due to heavy lifting and/or moving products around. Then given a teddy bear to make up for it.”  

• “Told I was really lucky to have a job, as any other place would fire me for all of the accommodations I needed.”  

• “After I finished undergrad, the job search process was hell! I would go in for interviews and would get stares. I would be qualified for positions and literally get ghosted from employers.” 

• “I asked for an office chair that fits my body, and the response was ‘maybe you can just do something about your desk or how you’re sitting instead?’”  

• “Being given the nickname ‘Eeyore’ by a boss because of my mental health disabilities.”  

• “Was fired outright when they found out my label/disability.” 

• “Supervisor telling HR I was refusing to do my job because I couldn’t do it without the reasonable accommodation they were denying.”  

• “Being told that spending money to train me was a waste of resources, I’d never be management material. Then when I was a manager, moving my office to the former storage room because ‘watching you type is painful.’ I’ve been told that people like me don’t need to work because we can just live off federal disability, so I shouldn’t take a job away from someone with a family.”

• “Attending interviews where members of the interviewing panel asked how I dress myself and about my spouse.” 

While many of us are aware that laws such as the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act are key pieces of legislation that provide some legal protections against disability discrimination, I would argue that, clearly, we haven’t done enough yet. Organizations like The National Center for Disability, Equity, and Intersectionality and American Progress, among many others, are advocating for key legislation that would end subminimum wage, get rid of asset limits for public assistance programs, increase funding for home and community based services, and  pass the Equality Act as methods of helping to solve this problem. As Michelle Obama recently said, we just need to ‘Do Something!’  

Leah Smith is the Associate Director of The National Center for Disability, Equity, and Intersectionality and Co-Facilitator for Her Power!, a national event aimed at teen girls with disabilities. She wears many hats, but being a mom to her two kids is, by far, the most important.