This Is Me: Nini

Nini is signing the word "communication" in American Sign Language.

My passion is filling service gaps. I helped set up the first position that served Hard of Hearing and Late Deafened people within an agency that serves Deaf and Hard of Hearing people. Later, I worked in political advocacy with the Disability Policy Consortium (DPC). I was the first Deaf person to join that agency and start making changes to policies and rules to make them more accommodating for Deaf and Hard of Hearing people. While at the DPC, I also established a Deaf and Hard of Hearing Constituents Day at the State House, where these communities come to visit their Senators and Representatives to share what their needs are.

For Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals, nothing can happen before communication access. Once that need is met, we can go forward. It can be a matter of life or death.