Morrison’s Space: A DeafBlind Activist

Current Issues

Press Release

April 14, 2026

A Hearing Without Access Is Not a Hearing: DeafBlind Educator Denied Participation in Civil Rights Appeal After State Agency Fails to Provide Accommodations

Boston, MA — April 2026 — DeafBlind educator and community advocate Morrison is publicly sharing their experience after the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD) denied their discrimination appeal, not on the merits of the case, but because the agency failed to provide the DeafBlind‑qualified interpreters required for their participation.

Morrison, who previously worked at The Learning Center for the Deaf, filed a discrimination complaint alleging denial of accommodations, retaliation, and wrongful termination. After the complaint was dismissed, they exercised their right to appeal. The appeal hearing was scheduled for February 11, 2025.

Despite confirming that it would provide the four DeafBlind interpreters required for tactile and DeafBlind-centric communication access, MCAD did not do so. The interpreters who arrived (virtually) were not trained in DeafBlind communication nor equipped for legal settings, leaving Morrison unable to access the proceeding. They were forced to end the hearing and requested that it be rescheduled with qualified interpreters.

Instead, they received an email stating that the agency was “unable to provide the requested interpreters” and that their only option was to submit the appeal in writing.

A year later, MCAD issued a formal decision stating that the appeal was denied because Morrison “failed to submit a written appeal or otherwise participate in the preliminary appeal process,” citing 804 CMR 1.08(4)(b)6.a. The decision further stated that no additional administrative or judicial review was available.

“The system denied me access, and then documented that denial as my failure to participate,” Morrison shared. “A civil rights process that is inaccessible is not a civil rights process.”

Background: A Pattern of Access Failures and Retaliation

Morrison’s underlying complaint detailed a series of escalating access barriers at The Learning Center for the Deaf, including shifts in communication tone, denial of a formal complaint process, and the use of paid leave in ways that destabilized their work and well‑being. They reported that these actions intensified after they raised concerns about discrimination.After their termination, Morrison sought recourse through MCAD, the state agency responsible for enforcing anti‑discrimination laws. Instead, they encountered the same access failures they had reported.

Legal Context: ADA and Section 504 Require Effective Communication

Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, state agencies must provide effective communication, including qualified DeafBlind interpreters when needed. This obligation is not optional and cannot be waived due to staffing shortages or logistical challenges. Therefore, a person with a disability cannot be penalized for an agency’s failure to provide accommodations.

When MCAD denied Morrison’s appeal for “failure to participate,” despite being the cause of their inability to participate, the agency’s action conflicted with federal disability law and undermined the integrity of the civil rights process.

A Structural Failure With Broad Implications

Morrison’s experience highlights a systemic issue: when civil rights agencies cannot provide access, disabled individuals are effectively barred from the protections of the law.“This is not just about one case,” Morrison said. “It’s about what happens when the systems designed to protect us become inaccessible. Due process means nothing without communication access.”

About Morrison

Morrison is a DeafBlind activist, educator, program designer, and community advocate. They have spent their career advancing culturally grounded, inclusive practices in Deaf and DeafBlind education, workplaces, and community. Their work centers on access, equity, and systemic reform.

Media Contact

Available upon request.

April 1, 2026

DeafBlind Advocates Rally After DeafBlind Awareness Day Cancellation at Massachusetts State House

Boston, MA, March 31, 2026
A small but mighty group of DeafBlind advocates gathered at the Massachusetts State House yesterday after the sudden cancellation of the annual DeafBlind Awareness Day event. The State House ADA Coordinator, Carl Richardson, called off the program, citing a lack of interpreting resources. For those who showed up anyway, the decision reflected a deeper, long‑standing problem.

Under current state regulations, DeafBlind residents must rely on interpreters registered through the Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (MCDHH). DeafBlind activist, Morrison, said the system was built for Deaf and Hard of Hearing services, not for the tactile, Protactile, and DeafBlind‑integrated communication access the DeafBlind community relies on. They point to one core issue: MCDHH continues to use a screening program that is roughly 20 years old, a system designed to assess American Sign Language‑based interpreting for Deaf consumers, not the specific skills required for DeafBlind communication. As a result, they say interpreters deemed “qualified” under the state’s standards are often unprepared to work with DeafBlind individuals.

For years, DeafBlind residents have pushed for recognition that their communication needs is distinct, and requires its own standards. Those who rallied described the cancellation as part of a broader pattern, events shut down, services delayed, and access denied because the state continues to rely on outdated policies and policies not designed with them in mind.

“We’re always the last to be served and the first to be canceled,” said DeafBlind advocate, Jaimi Lard. “This isn’t just an inconvenience. It’s a system that refuses to change.” Jaimi Lard is a long time resident of the city, Boston, and is frustrated with the system. This was nothing new as it is the norm for the DeafBlind community to be last to be invited, included, but first to be excluded.

DeafBlind advocates also raised concerns about recent cuts to CoNavigator hours by the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind (MCB). CoNavigators provide essential communication, navigation, and safety support in a city and beyond where public transportation remains largely inaccessible to DeafBlind travelers. Advocates emphasized that reducing these hours directly compromises their safety and freedom. The newly implemented architectural design and wayfinding system at South Station further illustrates the problem, as it was clearly not designed with people with disabilities in mind, especially the DeafBlind community. Paratransit drivers and train conductors are not equipped or trained to accommodate DeafBlind travelers. This gap in access underscores why CoNavigators are not optional, but necessary for equal and equitable participation in public life. With this, MCB is another systematic barrier where they fail to equtiably serve our community.

Organizers made clear that the rally was only the beginning. Another rally is planned for April 30, with hopes that more community members will join. The date coincides with MCDHH’s 40th anniversary, and DeafBlind advocates say the goal is to push for a modernized, community‑driven framework, including DeafBlind‑specific interpreter regulations separate from MCDHH, and stronger support from MCB.

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

The next rally will take place on April 30th from 10:30-2 at the Boston state house.

March 25, 2026

Public Statement: DeafBlind Community Calls for Accountability Following Sudden Cancellation of Massachusetts DeafBlind Awareness Day

Boston, MA — On behalf of the DeafBlind community, Morrison, a DeafBlind resident of the Commonwealth, issues this public statement in response to the abrupt cancellation of Massachusetts DeafBlind Awareness Day at the State House. The decision, announced less than a week before the event, has raised significant concerns about transparency, accountability, and the State’s commitment to equitable access for DeafBlind residents.

The stated reason for the cancellation, an inability to secure the 30+ interpreters required for full access, stands in direct conflict with the State House’s own published procedures. The ADA Coordinator publicly established a March 10 deadline for all communication access requests, including interpreting services, and provided clear instructions for submitting them. This timeline indicates that the State had both the structure and the opportunity to coordinate accommodations well in advance.

The official program for the March 31 event included commissioner remarks, a community panel titled “From Infants to Elders: Real Stories…Real Lives,” awards, acknowledgments, and scheduled legislative visits. DeafBlind attendees were encouraged to meet with their representatives to advocate for essential services supporting DeafBlind youth, adults, and elders across the Commonwealth. The cancellation of such a significant event, one intended to uplift and recognize the DeafBlind community, has caused deep concern.

Concerns About the State’s Access Coordination Process

Recent communications between State staff and community members highlight several systemic issues that contributed to the breakdown in access coordination:

  • Access decisions were filtered through systems designed for Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals, despite clear communication that DeafBlind needs fall outside those frameworks.
  • Internal contracting limitations were cited as justification for denying appropriate DeafBlind interpreting support, even though federal civil rights law, including Title VI and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), requires the State to provide effective communication access regardless of internal administrative constraints.
  • Responsibility for accommodations was shifted away from the State, contradicting the legal obligation of public entities to provide and fund necessary communication access.

These issues reflect broader structural gaps in how the Commonwealth recognizes, understands, and responds to DeafBlind communication needs.

Community Response

The DeafBlind community is urging the broader public to take action in response to this decision. Community members, allies, and supporters across Massachusetts are encouraged to contact their legislators, representatives, the Governor’s Office, the Mayor’s Office, and local media outlets to voice concern about the ongoing inequities faced by DeafBlind residents. The community is asking the public to help amplify this issue by resharing this statement, speaking out, and making clear that this pattern of exclusion is unacceptable.

For far too long, the DeafBlind community has been stripped of our autonomy, our presence and leadership, the last to be accommodated, the last to be consulted, and the last to be included in decisions that directly affect their lives. This moment calls for collective action to ensure that these systemic barriers are no longer ignored.

DeafBlind community members and true allies are also encouraged to take interest in gathering outside the State House on March 31 with signs such as “DeafBlind Access Now” or “DeafBlind Access Matters” to make visible what the cancellation has erased. Morrison stated they would stand with anyone who chooses to show up.

The Community Is Calling For:

  • Transparency regarding 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 when systems fall short
  • 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 (also including CART)
    • Establishes clear timelines, responsibilities, and escalation procedures for securing accommodations
    • Ensures the State, not nonprofits or individuals, bears the cost of required access
    • Includes enforcement mechanisms when agencies fail to meet their obligations
  • Decision making rooted in DeafBlind leadership and lived experience, not assumptions or processes designed without community input

“This decision was more than a disappointment, but not surprising,” Morrison 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 accommodated and the last to be met with. We will continue to advocate for meaningful change.”

Media Contact:

Available upon request.