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Tag: deaf dad

  • Day 11: Deaf Accessibility Wins – Embracing Advocacy as a Deaf Dad

    Advocacy is something I proudly carry with me every day. It is my purpose and my calling. What started as a choice has become a powerful commitment — especially now as a Deaf dad raising Deaf daughters, while balancing my job and freelance work.

    Maturing has meant fully embracing this role with strength and clarity.

    I’ve learned there are many ways to advocate. One of the most empowering is through ongoing education and awareness — every single day, in every interaction.

    The goal is to shine a light on how policies and society were designed without Deaf people in mind. This creates unnecessary communication barriers, audist attitudes, medical pushes to “cure” deafness, discouragement of sign language (linguicism), and more. These challenges exist daily, often invisible to those not directly affected.

    While I can’t change the entire world overnight, I am committed to making a meaningful impact within my own community — one conversation at a time. Every genuine dialogue plants seeds of understanding and opens doors to real progress.

    This is how we build a stronger, more inclusive future — together.

    What about you? How do you channel your voice into advocacy — whether for yourself, your family, or your community? What’s one way you’ve seen small, consistent efforts create empowering change?

    Share your powerful stories in the comments — let’s inspire each other!

    See you tomorrow for Day 12!

  • Day 4: Deaf Accessibility Wins – Advocating as a Deaf Dad

    As a Deaf dad with Deaf daughters, advocacy is a constant part of life. From asking people to repeat themselves, using voice-to-text on my phone, writing notes, or requesting ASL interpreters — I’ve done it all. Advocating for interpreters is often hit-or-miss because funding isn’t always in place.

    Now that I have Deaf daughters, I’m advocating not just for myself, but for them, their Deaf friends, and other Deaf families (including hearing parents of Deaf children). The responsibility compounds.

    A Recent Win Recently, we signed our Deaf kids up for soccer. All the Deaf children ended up on the same team. The league was funded solely by registration fees, so they hadn’t planned for interpreters. We reached out to an organization that has dedicated funds reserved for ASL interpreters and connected them with the league.

    It was smooth sailing. The league coordinator was proactive, and we secured interpreters for games, wind-up events, and more. With clear communication and the right people involved, the coaches could communicate effectively with the Deaf players and parents — and vice versa.

    This experience showed me that knowing how and where to advocate makes all the difference. When the right motives, funding, and guidance come together, accessibility wins become possible.

    What about you? Have you had to advocate for accessibility in sports, school, or community activities? What worked well, or what would have made it easier?

    Share your experiences in the comments — your stories help all of us learn and grow.

    See you tomorrow for Day 5!

  • Why I’m Deleting the “Sales Coach” Vibe to Go All-In on Deaf Access

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  • My Detox Journey as a Deaf Girl Dad and Husband

    My Detox Journey as a Deaf Girl Dad and Husband

    The other day, I was chatting with someone in the DMs. We started talking about our health goals and why we both want to feel better. That conversation made me reflect on my own journey—and why I’m taking steps toward detoxing.

    Some of the challenges I faced included:

    • Skin reactions
    • Low energy
    • Relying too much on coffee

    🌱 My Skin Journey

    I used to have a skin condition that left my skin dry and flaky. To manage it, I relied heavily on medicated creams—many of which contained steroids like corticosteroid cream.

    But deep down, I wanted to wean off those creams.

    Then I came across an organic solution. Believe it or not, it was as simple as changing my water. Since then, I haven’t had to depend on medicated cream nearly as much as before. That small change has been a huge relief.

    Learn more about my clear skin solution.

    ☕ Breaking Free From Coffee Dependency

    For years, coffee was my lifeline. I’d start my mornings with it, crash mid-day, and then brew another pot just to get through. It was a vicious cycle that left me more tired than energized.

    Now, things are different. I still enjoy coffee—but I don’t need it the way I used to. And when I do drink it, it tastes richer and smoother since changing my water. Coffee is no longer about survival; it’s about enjoyment.

    Learn more about this.

    😴 Struggling With Energy Levels

    Even when I got a full 8 hours of sleep, I often woke up tired and drained. It was frustrating—like my body couldn’t recharge no matter how much I rested.

    That’s when I discovered detoxing.

    Clearer skin was my first motivation, but now I see detoxing as a way to also support my energy levels and overall health.

    Join the detox journey.

    📖 The Beginning of My Detox Journey

    The truth is, I’ve only just started. I don’t have all the answers yet, but I want to document this process step by step—as a Deaf girl dad and husband who’s committed to building a healthier lifestyle for myself and my family.

    🙌 Join Me on This Journey

    If you’re curious and want to follow along, subscribe below to get updates when I share new posts.

    Or, if you’d like to connect, leave a comment—I’d love to connect with you.

    💌 Stay Connected

    This is just the beginning of my detox journey—and I’ll be sharing more updates, reflections, and lessons learned along the way.

    If you’d like to follow along more closely, subscribe to my email list. That’s where I’ll share the behind-the-scenes details, personal insights, and resources I don’t always post publicly.

    Let’s keep learning and growing together!

  • Fatherhood Isn’t Just a Role — It’s Leadership in Action

    I haven’t posted anything personally about Father’s Day in the past, and I believe this might be the first time I’m sharing something about myself here. But this year, it felt important.

    Not because I’m looking for recognition, but because I know how many of us quietly carry the weight of leading our families behind the scenes.

    So from one dad to another: Happy Father’s Day.

    Maybe today didn’t go as planned.

    Maybe your spouse wasn’t feeling her best.

    Maybe the kids were bouncing off the walls.

    Maybe the food was “just okay.”

    Maybe, honestly, you’re just tired.

    Still — you showed up.

    You kept leading.

    That’s what fatherhood is.

    It’s not always about grand gestures or picture-perfect moments.

    It’s about presence.

    It’s about being consistent.

    It’s about showing love even when no one is watching — and when everything feels messy.

    Whether you’re running a business, clocking in full time, or figuring it out day by day, fatherhood is the kind of leadership that never stops. It doesn’t wait for applause or even appreciation. It simply shows up, again and again.

    And if today didn’t feel special…

    Or if you’re wrestling with the pressure to be “doing more”…

    Let me remind you: your presence is powerful.

    Your leadership matters — especially at home.

    So to the dads holding it down, whether you’re celebrated loudly or quietly in the background — I see you.

    Keep going. Keep leading.

    Happy Father’s Day.

    —

    P.S. Leadership isn’t always about titles or achievements. Sometimes, it looks like bedtime stories, quiet sacrifices, and doing the work no one else sees. And that, to me, is one of the highest callings there is.

  • Caption Designs Over the Years

    With the recent reactions from the Deaf community and advocates about how hearing-owned companies selling caption glasses as well as using Deaf influencers to sell their product, I had the time to mull it over on why this issue keeps happening again.

    I’m all for accessible and inclusive AI and technology but it appears many of these are repurposed.

    Let’s look at captions:

    I recall when captions first came out, my parents purchased a caption box for me. We use them by connecting the cable to the tv and switch channels using the caption box. I was able to enjoy television by reading the captions.

    Eventually, tv’s had captions installed in them and caption boxes were no longer needed.

    Then there are captions for videos online.

    Then there were auto-captions leading to rely on AI.

    Then it became a tool the masses could use in their smartphones to access information and conversations around them.

    Now, captions are implemented in glasses.

    With the rapid rise of technology going caption boxes to caption glasses, the one thing remains is the design of captions are still the same.

    I’m not a designer, just a Deaf consumer who consumed these products.

    Also, I communicate in ASL.

    Over the years, these captions give one-way access to information then folks took this as an attempt to access conversations but it only achieved one-way access. And not inclusion where Deaf folks can be part of the conversations in their language which is sign language.

    So, I implore folks exploring access and inclusion using AI or devices to take into consideration how to contribute and create true access and inclusion where people can have conversations and interact in their languages especially sign language.

    I have yet to see this happen.

  • Are Caption Glasses Truly Accessible for Deaf Individuals?

    There’s been recent buzz about caption glasses, with some in the Deaf community feeling they exploit rather than empower. As a Deaf individual who communicates in ASL, I wanted to share my perspective.

    What Caption Glasses Offer

    Caption glasses can provide one-way access to information—primarily converting spoken language into English captions. While this may be useful in some contexts, it doesn’t create an inclusive environment for ASL users like me. Conversations require two-way communication, and captions don’t allow me to contribute equally.

    Free or Affordable Alternatives

    Many free apps offer similar or even better voice-to-text capabilities:

    • Otter AI
    • Microsoft Translator
    • Google Transcribe
    • Apple Live Caption

    Other tools include:

    • Apple Notes
    • Google Docs
    • Cardzilla

    These apps are either free or far more affordable than the steep price of caption glasses.

    What’s Missing? Sign Language Access

    Relying solely on captions ignores the importance of sign language for full inclusivity. Tools like VRI On-Demand (Video Remote Interpreting) can bridge this gap, allowing real-time conversations in ASL.

    What’s Your Experience?

    Have you tried caption glasses or other tools? Do you know of accessible solutions that prioritize sign language? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

  • You are focusing on the wrong thing. Read this.

    When I paid off my 6-figure student loans (and my spouse’s) 4 years ago, I started to shift my focus.

    One of my focuses is not playing status games.

    Some of the things that are no longer my priority are:

    • looking to change the world.
    • looking to build the next big thing.
    • looking to pursue a title.
    • looking for more projects, people, etc.

    I used to think of wanting to get the highest valuation (i.e. profit) but that changed…

    Where I am in life now with a growing family, I shift my focus to:

    • spend time with my wife and toddlers.
    • fly out to visit my family and in-laws anytime.
    • work on projects that will have an impact.
    • have meaningful conversations.

    When you list out priorities in your life, it can change the course of action. Then, you start to take a different path with intentionality.

    What are you doing now? Living someone else’s life? Or living your own?

    When you’re ready to start living a life on your own terms, you can start with something affordable by taking the 7 Day Shift now.

    Learn more about the 7 Day Shift.

  • Advice I would give to my teenage self

    What advice would you give to your teenage self?

    The one advice I would give to my teenage self is a higher education degree does not necessarily correlate with a higher salary.

    Sure, it depends on the speciality but is not necessarily true for all degrees. In my case, all my degrees are liberal arts degrees.

    Another thing I’d add is that being a high paid employee doesn’t guarantee financial freedom. At the end of the day, employees are taxed. And especially more when they’re on the higher tax bracket.

    So, I’ll encourage my teenage self to explore the entrepreneurship path as well. This will come along with other skills to be developed as well.

    Anything else you’ll like to add that you want to advise to your teenage self?

  • The ONE Thing I Usually Do When Picking Up Groceries

    The other day I went to pick up groceries. You know when you order groceries through an app then you get assigned a date and time when they’re ready to be picked up? That.

    Sometimes I go by myself, sometimes with my wife, or with my toddler. Or all of them together. Anyway, at times, when I go by myself or just with my toddlers, I’d arrive and park at the stall. Then I’ll call the number on the stall through on-demand interpreting services. Or most know this as VRS. Then I’d give the name and stall number I’m parked in. Then while waiting, if I’m by myself, I’ll be taking the time to think about my next post or just simply take the time to meditate. If I’m with the kids, then I’ll have a conversation with them.

    Then when the employee comes out with the groceries, I’d typically get out to open the trunk. Usually, my intention is to at least connect with a basic conversation with them. First, I’d sign, “How are you?” The expected response is they freeze like a deer caught in headlights. Then I get sure with the thumbs up. This typically eases the tension. Then I’d get back in the car and let them load the groceries into the trunk. After they’re done, they usually know to get my attention or make eye contact with me before they close the trunk then go. This usually ends with a wave or thumbs up.

    Now, for those you watching or reading this, what would you do in a similar situation like this and why? Comment below. I’m curious to know.