Why We Showed Up Anyway

April 1, 2026

By Morrison

Yesterday was supposed to be DeafBlind Awareness Day at the Massachusetts State House. Instead, it became something very different, and in many ways, something more honest.

When the State House ADA Coordinator, Carl Richardson, abruptly canceled the event, citing a lack of interpreting resources, many of us already knew what that meant. It was not just about interpreters. It was about a system that has never been built with us in mind, a system that continues to treat DeafBlind people as an afterthought…

So we showed up anyway.

A small group of us gathered outside the State House, not because the event was still happening, but because the cancellation itself said everything we have been trying to get people to understand for years.

A System Built for Others, Not for Us

Under current state regulations, DeafBlind residents are required to use interpreters registered through the Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (MCDHH). But MCDHH’s system was built for Deaf and Hard of Hearing services and communication, this was not designed for DeafBlind. The screening program MCDHH rely on is nearly twenty years old, designed to assess visual American SIgn Language (ASL) interpreting for d/Deaf consumers. It does not measure tactile communication, Protactile, or any of the skills our DeafBlind community depends on. NONE.

So when the state says “no interpreters were available,” what they really mean is “no interpreters who fit our outdated system were available.” And that system excludes the very interpreters who are qualified to work with us – but many of them were not registered with MCDHH.

This is not a new problem. It is a pattern. Events canceled. Services delayed. Access denied. All because the state continues to rely on policies that were never designed for DeafBlind people.

As one DeafBlind advocate, Jaimi Lard, said at the rally, “We are always the last to be served, last to be invited, and the first to be canceled.” Jaimi has lived in Boston for years and has seen this cycle repeat itself over and over. For our community, being excluded is not an exception. It is the norm. A painful one.

Cuts to CoNavigator Hours Make Things Worse

On top of the cancellation, many of us are still reeling from the possible cuts to CoNavigator (CN) hours by the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind (MCB). CoNavigators are not a luxury, not a preference. They are essential for communication, navigation, and safety in a city where public transportation remains largely inaccessible to DeafBlind travelers.

The new architectural design and wayfinding system at South Station is a perfect example. It was clearly not designed with people with disabilities and safety in mind, especially not DeafBlind travelers. Paratransit drivers and train conductors are not trained or equipped to support us. They cannot provide tactile communication, environmental information, or real‑time updates. Without CNs, we are left to navigate unsafe and inaccessible systems alone. Or left to stay home, isolated – deprived from equitable access to engage in life; for many this impact our mental health and our wellbeing.

Reducing CN hours is not just an inconvenience for us. It puts our safety at risk. With this, MCB becomes yet another systemic barrier, failing to equitably serve our community.

Why We Showed Up Anyway

Even with the event canceled, we gathered because silence would have sent the wrong message. We needed to be visible. We needed to remind the state that we exist, that we are not going away, and that our needs, our access are not optional.

And we will be back.

Another rally is planned for April 30th, the same day MCDHH celebrates its 40th anniversary. We feel the timing is fitting. For forty years, the Deaf community has had a commission. The Blind community has had a commission. But where is the DB in MCDHH and MCB? Where is the recognition that DeafBlind people are not Deaf, not Blind, but a distinct community with our own communication, cultural, and access needs?

For decades, we have been pushed into systems that do not fit us. It is like trying to force a square block into a triangle or a circle. It does not work, and it causes harm every time. We are not a subset of the Deaf community. We are not a subset of the Blind community. We are DeafBlind. And we deserve a system that reflects that reality, our community.

Looking Ahead

I will be honest. I was disappointed by how few people showed up yesterday. But I want to be clear: my disappointment is not directed at our DeafBlind community. I know many wanted to be there. I know how hard it is to show up when we do not have enough CoNavigator hours, enough CNs as is, when no CN is available, or when using the last of your hours means sacrificing safety later. That is exactly why we need to push MCB to NOT cut back our CN hours. We need more hours, not less, so DeafBlind people can participate in their own advocacy just like anyone else. Thousands of people can take the time to attend the No Kings march. Our community deserves that same freedom and opportunity.

Where my disappointment sits is with the broader community, the hearing community, the Deaf community, and others who say they support us but did not show up. We needed people to stand with us, and many chose not to. And I have to name something that hurt: many interpreters stayed away because they were afraid of jeopardizing their contracts with MCDHH. That is not solidarity. Standing behind a system that harms us, a system that canceled our event and continues to fail us, only reinforces the harm. It was painful to see how many interpreters chose silence over support.

We needed interpreters on site yesterday, and only one person stepped forward. That interpreter was not afraid, and I want to express my deep appreciation and respect for them. Thank you for showing up for our community and being a true ally.

And to our sighted allies: this is where you can step up. Offer rides. Reach out. Help make it possible for DeafBlind people to attend their own rallies. Access should not be the barrier that keeps us from showing up for ourselves.

I am hopeful with this message, more of our community, and our allies, will join us on April 30. We need people to understand why this matters, why the system is broken, and why we need a commission of our own or, at the very least, meaningful inclusion in the equation.

Because right now, we are falling through cracks that were built into the system from the beginning. Cracks created by policies that never considered us. Cracks that we have been fighting to climb out of for decades.

And we are tired of falling, tired of being left behind…

As I said yesterday, “We showed up, and we will keep showing up. It is time for policies that reflect our reality, not a system built decades ago without us in the equation.”

April 30 is our next rally. I hope you will stand with us.

To read about yesterday’s event – go to current issues for the latest press release.