“Jessica on Accommodations” video

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Text, Accommodations. Jessica Mitchell speaks.

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I wish professionals understood that accommodations are very, very necessary. I think that many professionals when dealing with deaf people kind of pushed those accommodations to the side or push requests to the side and think that they're not as important or they don't matter or they're mere suggestions.

Professionals in educational environments who don't realize the importance and the impact of accommodations and requests. And professionals and places like health care environments who don't realize that when somebody requests an interpreter or when somebody says I need you to write that down that it's not just a suggestion.

And then it shouldn't be treated with annoyance either because it's something that is necessary for communication. And then on top of all of that, I feel like a-- the thing that-- is kind of drives all of this is that I wish professionals understood that deaf individuals are people just like hearing people. It's nothing-- it's nothing different, it's just a little bit extra work that they might have to do.

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Website, national deaf center dot org.

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