A Call for Accountability After the Cancellation of DeafBlind Awareness Day

March 25, 2026
By Morrison

On behalf of the DeafBlind community, I am issuing this statement in response to the sudden cancellation of Massachusetts DeafBlind Awareness Day at the State House. The announcement came less than a week before the event, and while disappointing, it was not surprising. It reflects a pattern that many of us know too well: when systems fall short, DeafBlind access is often the first thing sacrificed.

This year’s event was meant to bring our community together, highlight our stories, our struggles, and connect us with legislators who shape the policies that impact our lives. The program was already published. The agenda was set. The State House had publicly shared a March 10 deadline for all communication access requests, including interpreting services. The process was clear, the timeline was established, and the responsibility was theirs.

Yet the event was canceled with the explanation that the State “could not secure” the 30+ interpreters needed for full access. That explanation does not align with the State’s own procedures, nor does it reflect the urgency or seriousness with which DeafBlind access should be treated.

A System That Was Not Built for Us

The communications leading up to this cancellation revealed deeper issues that go far beyond a single event. They exposed systemic gaps in how the Commonwealth understands and responds to DeafBlind communication needs. And that is exactly why DeafBlind Awareness Day mattered so deeply.

This day was meant to create space for education, visibility, and understanding – a space our community rarely receives. Instead, that opportunity was taken away, cancelled.

DeafBlind Awareness Day was designed to highlight the very inequities – injustices, that ultimately led to its cancellation. It was supposed to be a moment where our stories, our struggles with an unjust system, our lived experiences, and our expertise could be centered. It was supposed to be a day where policymakers could listen, learn, and engage with the realities of DeafBlind life in Massachusetts.

But that space was stripped from us.

When an event intended to raise awareness about systemic barriers is canceled because of those same systemic barriers, it becomes painfully clear how urgently change is needed.

A Moment for Collective Action

The DeafBlind community cannot shoulder this alone. We are calling on the broader public – allies, advocates, neighbors, colleagues, and anyone who believes in equity and inclusion to stand with us.

We need your voices.
We need your amplification.
We need your action.

Here’s how you can help:

• Contact your legislators and representatives.
• Reach out to the Governor’s Office and the Mayor’s Office.
• Share this blog post, the press release within, and speak out publicly.
• Contact local media and ask why this happened.
• Make it clear that access is not optional, and equity cannot and should not be delayed.

For far too long, the DeafBlind community has been the last to be accommodated, the last to be consulted, and the last to be included in decisions that directly affect our lives. This lacked humanness towards our community. This must change.

DeafBlind community members and true allies are also encouraged to gather outside the State House on March 31 with signs such as “DeafBlind Access Now” and “DeafBlind Access Matters” to make visible what this cancellation has erased. I will stand with anyone who chooses to show up.

What We Are Calling For

We are asking for more than answers. We are asking for change. Action.

Action for change…

• Transparency about how and why the access coordination process failed
• Accountability from the State House and all agencies involved
• A commitment to ensuring that access is never the first element sacrificed
• A statewide DeafBlind Access Policy that:
  • Recognizes DeafBlind communication as distinct from Deaf and Hard of Hearing needs
  • Requires qualified DeafBlind interpreters, including tactile, close vision, and Protactile modalities
  • Establishes clear timelines, responsibilities, and escalation procedures
  • Ensures the State, not nonprofits, the public, or individuals, bears the cost of required access
  • Includes enforcement mechanisms when obligations are not met
• Decision making rooted in DeafBlind leadership and lived experience

This is not a radical ask. It is the bare minimum required for equity.

Enough Is Enough

“This decision was more than a disappointment, but not surprising,” I said. “This decision justifies the need for action, for change. The DeafBlind community deserves better. Enough is enough, as we are constantly the last to be included in policies, last to be accommodated, and the last to be included. We will continue to advocate for meaningful change.”

This moment is bigger than one event. It is about whether Massachusetts is willing to recognize and respect the rights of DeafBlind residents – not in theory, but in practice.

We deserve better.
We deserve equity.
We deserve to be heard.

And we will not stop advocating until meaningful change is realized.