Amanda Listens
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Monthly Roundup
September Monthly Roundup
Grateful for American Sign Language: International Day of Sign Languages
In the spirit of Deaf Awareness Month, International Day of Sign Languages next week during International Week for Deaf People, I have written how grateful I am about learning ASL and the learnings along the way.
Importance of Time: Time Use in an Inaccessible World
Time is a precious resource. How we are able to utilized time in our day to day lives depends on many factors that we interact with. For persons with disabilities, time use can be impacted. Learn about the three (3)…
How Do They Identify?: Personal Identity vs Group Identity
Have you ever heard of one person’s identity and then try to refer to the entire group with the same term and it is not correct? Learn how there is a different between personal an group identity and how you…
August Monthly Roundup
Feel Like More Impact: Group Advocacy vs. Individual Advocacy
When doing advocacy and activism, there is always a wonder and push to make the most impact for change. Read to explore the perceived notions of impact and making change with the common question of working with a group, or…
Action Into Passion: Your Journey to Activism and Advocacy
Have you ever questioned why you do activism or advocacy work? This blog post will explore how to turn action into passion for doing activism and advocacy work through the seven lessons I learned along my journey so far.
5 Ways to Make Activism a Little Easier When You Are Overwhelmed
The struggle to find motivation to continue can be difficult if you are overwhelmed with the problem. Learn 5 ways that you can utilize to make activism a little easier to be part of your life when you are overwhelmed.
July Monthly Roundup
Connecting Human Rights and The Ability to Choose
It is hard to think that change is needed when you do not know the alternatives or different experiences connected to human rights. Read to see how knowledge and existence of rights should allow the ability to have choices in…
Waiting to be a Choice | Art Piece
Learn why Amanda made this art piece of “Waiting to be a choice” with her experience with hearing devices and deaf identity.
Visualizing Deaf and Disabled: From Amanda’s Perspective
Amanda’s two disabilities feel very different from each other. Read t o understand how her artwork best visualize her feelings on her two disabilities and balancing those in her life.
June Monthly Roundup
Media’s Role in Global Issues
Media is a major consumption of information for the general public that can influence how we perceived global issues. Learn how narratives can play a significant role and how you can utilize the media.
Communicating Change: A Key Component to Action
Part of advocacy and activism is showing the impact you have made. In the era of digital technology, the approaches of communications has expanded with an emphasis on social media. However, there are many ways communication is needed to take…
Taking Action!: How To Take Action As An Introvert
Taking action can be intimidating as an introvert. With the image of an activist being vocal and present, it is easy to miss the small impacts that can be big! Read about Amanda’s experience advocating as an introvert and the…
May Monthly Roundup
Tips to Improve Accessibility During a Busy Time
If you did not plan for accessibility from the beginning, do not worry. You can still find ways to improve your activity by reading some tips to help during a busy time.
A Diagnosis Should not be the Key to Participation
When your body is different than what is consider an abled bodied person, a diagnosis means everything. As the healthcare system is struggling with the increasing demand and pressure, many people who are searching for that answer is waiting to…
Quick Tips for Accessibility: Path to Disability Inclusion
Accessibility can be overwhelming when it is not considered from the start. It does not mean that action cannot be taken to improve experiences for persons with disabilities. Read to get an overview of why accessibility in design is important…
April Monthly Roundup
Accessibility and Disability Inclusion: What is the Difference?
Accessibility and disability inclusion co-exist in the space of including persons with disabilities in society but what is the difference? Explore the difference in action and how the interconnection is the goal.
5 Approaches to Take to Accept Your Disability
Accepting your disability is quite a journey. With many ways to learn the value of living with a disability, each person approach is unique. Learn the 5 approaches that Amanda took to accept her disability to take on your journey.
How To Be Productive, Even When You Have No Energy
Energy is a limited resource, even more so if you are living with disabilities. There are still tasks that needs to be done and basic needs that need to be met. Learn how you can still be productive even when…
March Monthly Roundup
Trying To Do It All?: How To Balance Advocacy with Life
Part of advocacy is knowing when you can contribute and when you may need to take a step back for your own needs. Learn the lessons and advice on balancing advocacy with life.
Reflecting on International Women’s Day in 2024
Reflecting on the time on doing advocacy work including the intersectionality of gender equality. Read more to learn what I have learned over the years on women and girls rights.
Barriers to International Conversations: My Experience at CSW67 as an ICN Youth Delegate
Imagine having an amazing opportunity to go to the United Nations Headquarters to be part of international conversations but you cannot participate due to lack of accessibility accommodations. That was my experience at CSW67. Read to learn what I did,…
February Monthly Roundup
6 Qualities to Design a Better World
There are many ways to contribute to taking action. However, there are qualities tht can make taking action to design a better world a little easier (and more fun). Read to see what the 6 qualities are.
Connecting the Thread of Global Work to Local Work
When considering activism and advocacy, many times, it is the personal connection and local impact that motivates people to do the work. How do we not work in silo? Read to learn how connecting global concepts to local work can…
Accessing International Conversations
Being in the international cooperation sector for two years now, it is time to reflect on the inaccessibility in the sector. Is there still hope to improve disability inclusion in the sector?
January Monthly Roundup
Accessibility is Not “Extra Steps” | Disrupt the Status Quo
The attitude of status quo in accessibility is the concept of “extra steps” in the process. This is a mindset that requires rethinking of the processes that exists, especially with information. Read how it is not "extra steps."
Time to Take Action! Tips for Starting Out
Do you want to take action on the issues you care about? Read this blog post to learn about activism and advocacy and some tips to help sustain your efforts.
Those Small Initiatives Do Matter: Importance of Small Steps in a Collective Movement
When you look at a collective movement, it can be rewarding that there is so much momentum. It can also be intimidating. Read how applying the concept of breaking tasks down into smaller steps can apply to social movements to…
December Monthly Roundup
Is it worth it? Activism and Advocacy
Activism and advocacy is hard. You likely enter the work with the energy and passion to make change you care about, only to be faced with difficulties and turmoil on whether it is worth it to continue on. Come explore…
The Most Crucial Step to Embrace Your Disability Identity
Gaining a disability is life-changing, especially if you gain it later in life. Getting a diagnosis for a disability that has always been there is freeing. But losing something that you can vividly remember experiencing is difficult to let go.…
Time to Start Designing With Access in Mind: Designing from the Start
Can everyone access any event? program? As society puts emphasis on accessibility requests, the incentive to design events with access in mind is not always high on everyone’s list. If inclusion is important to you, learn why it is time…
November Monthly Roundup
Journey to Universal Design: What does it take to be accessible and inclusive
Universal Design is a process. It is not something that can be developed and implemented in an instant. There are principles, steps, and considerations to make into your process. Learn more how these key steps are important and how it…
Being Part of Social Movements and Change is Radical
In social movements, the radicals are the ones that get the most mainstream media attention and shapes the public’s perception of activism. Do you know that there are more roles in a movement? Even better, being radical can exist anywhere…
Living with Disabilities: What Does That Mean?
As the society we live in puts emphasis on healthy as a fully abled bodied person, living with a disability is still seen as inferior and less than. Ableism impacts us all, so read more to gain insight on how…
October Monthly Roundup
Setting Boundaries in an Inaccessible World
When access needs are not considered, boundaries can be crossed to gain some access. Long term, this is not helpful when living with a disability. Read to learn how important setting boundaries can be and how it can help with…
Stop Preaching Self-Advocacy: Navigating an Inaccessible World
Self-advocacy is a common tool that is preached to persons with disabilities to obtain the access they need. But should it be? Learn about how self-advocacy is currently being preached, how it should be utilized, and where the line is…
3 Reasons a Diagnosis is Important!
A diagnosis means something to a person with a disability. While it should not be the key to participation, it can open doors to informed decision-making and quality of life. Read three reason why a diagnosis can be crucial.
September Monthly Roundup
Disabilities Toolbox | Art Piece
Description of an art piece of a drawing of the various tools being used to get through the day as someone with disabilities.
Start Updating, not Following: Improving Accessibility in Your Work
Accessibility and disability inclusion are becoming part of the mainstream conversation to improve standards, experiences, and quality of life. Read how the focus should be updating your process, not following the crowd when improving accessibility.
Take Action on Accessibility: How to Navigate Different Needs and Structures
When it comes to accessibility and disability inclusion, most people think they are doing the “standard” of what is expected from them. However, it requires taking initiative to improve access in our community. Learn how to navigate the structures that…