Confessions of a DeafBlind Mother

Site on Auction - Start the Bidding
Confessions of a DeafBlind Mother For Sale: deafblindconfessions.com [...]
Fri, Nov 30 2018

Website for Sale
Confessions of a DeafBlind Mother I'm announcing that I'm selling this website by the New Year.I no longer have the time, experience, or inclination for it's upkeep and success I'm offering my readers first chance at it.What's included:Contents of websiteBlog postsResourcesTutorialsRoughly 1,200 unique visitors a week and roughly 8,000 page views a weekDomain Name - www.deafblindconfessions.co...
Fri, Nov 16 2018

Products for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing - Hearing &...
Confessions of a DeafBlind Mother Welcome to the last installment of this series!Please note that this post is focused on those deaf and hard of hearing that are still dependent on their residual hearing to listen and communicate.  Words of Advice First, I strongly discourage you from getting one of these for someone who's Deaf. Note the difference in spelling? What's the difference betwe...
Fri, Nov 02 2018

Products for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Series -...
Confessions of a DeafBlind Mother Welcome to the 4th installment of this series. Today is about communication,​I'll cover a few things that can ease communication between a Deaf individual and a hearing individual.But first....My RantHistory has always been trying to find a way to "fix" deafness. Then with the rise of the latest technology, people are pushing for more solutions to communicate with t...
Wed, Oct 31 2018

Products for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Series - On the...
Confessions of a DeafBlind Mother Good morning! Welcome to Part 3 of my series.If you missed the first two, they are:1. For the Home​2. Driving & TravellingI plan to have 2 more installments next:4. Communication5. Hearing & Listening (for those deaf and hard of hearing still dependent on their aural skills)Again these are for the newly deaf and hard of hearing and the general public as many cultura...
Mon, Oct 29 2018

Products for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Series - Driving...
Confessions of a DeafBlind Mother Welcome to the second part of this series, you can check out Part one if you missed it.Before I get into listing the products, I want to break one big misconception that's rampant among the general public: Deaf People Can Drive!! Please stop being so shocked that Deaf people can drive!!They don't need to hear in order to operate a vehicle! It's actually been proven ...
Thu, Oct 25 2018

Products for the Deaf & Hard of Hearing Series - The...
Confessions of a DeafBlind Mother Welcome to the first installment of this series - products for the home.I know for the Deaf (Culturally Deaf), this is "old news", but I'm aiming towards the newly deaf, hard of hearing, and hearing people for awareness and understanding.Photo by Daniel Barnes on UnsplashFirst let's talk about the optimum home layout for the Deaf.The "Deaf Space" consists of maximizin...
Tue, Oct 23 2018

Products for the Deaf & Hard of Hearing Series - Coming...
Confessions of a DeafBlind Mother You may remember my "Low Vision Products for the Home" series I did previously, now I'm going to do one for those with hearing loss.I do admit that this series is going to be much shorter as Deaf & HoH people don't need as many adaptations as those with vision loss, so I will also focus on various issues that the general public may be unaware of.​Areas I'll cover:* ...
Sun, Oct 21 2018

When you Refuse to Accept your Disability
Confessions of a DeafBlind Mother This vlog explains what will eventually happen when you don't accept your disability and it's effect on those around you. Transcript can be read here. [...]
Wed, Oct 10 2018

CSJW - Clueless Social Justice Warriors
Confessions of a DeafBlind Mother Today I want to talk about something that annoys the Hell out of me every time I see or read about it - CSJW!Here's the dictionary's definition:A SJW or Social Justice Warrior is someone who who expresses or promotes socially progressive views. "these social justice warriors want to apply their politically correct standards and rules to others' speech"​A CSJW on t...
Mon, Oct 08 2018

Introducing the First DeafBlind Actor in a Movie!
Confessions of a DeafBlind Mother I was contacted about a new upcoming project for a movie that will include the first DeafBlind actor in a movie.The film is called "Feeling Through" and its a documentary chronicling the journey of that DeafBlind actor and the unique process of bringing this story to life.They are still in the early stages and working on collecting the funding for this movie.​Here'...
Wed, Oct 03 2018

Deaf Awareness Week - Deaf Culture & ASL Resources
Confessions of a DeafBlind Mother The week is almost over and you're probably flooded with videos and blogs about Deaf people, Deaf Culture, & ASL.Maybe it perked your interest to learn more history or culture?Maybe it perked your interest in learning to sign?Now the question is Where? Who's reliable? I've put together a list of good resources to start off with.Sign for BOOKDeaf Culture BooksThese are...
Thu, Sep 27 2018

Deaf Awareness Week 2018 - Something Different
Confessions of a DeafBlind Mother I admit I had trouble coming up with something to focus on for Deaf Awareness Week.I knew social media would be flooded with a multitude of different posts, vlogs, videos, and so on....all celebrating, educating, sharing, and more.I didn't want to sound like a broken record, or get get skipped over because people  "saw it already".​So, what do I do?Discuss one majo...
Tue, Sep 25 2018

Interpreting for the DeafBlind - You Signed up for This!
Confessions of a DeafBlind Mother I was asked my opinion on a Facebook discussion about interpreting for the DeafBlind, I couldn't believe what I was reading! Here's a rewrite of that post (not naming the group or the source). "Should DeafBlind people tell their SSP or interpreter that they are sick or contagious? Do interpreters and SSPs have the right to protect themselves and refuse to do the assi...
Mon, Sep 17 2018

Cherish Your Deaf Identity
Confessions of a DeafBlind Mother Continuing along the same theme as my Crab Theory post. I'll be sharing my feelings on an old phenomenon that happens in the Deaf community plus one recent one that has popped up.What is Deaf Identity?I know the Deaf Identity involves more than just the three I showed, but it is the simple explanation. So, let's take a quick look:ASLAmerican Sign Language is our share...
Mon, Sep 10 2018

Breaking "Crab Theory" in the Deaf Community
Confessions of a DeafBlind Mother In the Deaf community, there's usually some form of "Crab Theory" happening.​First, let me explain what that is:"The crab theory is based on the metaphor of what happens when you put several crabs together in a bucket. The crabs crawl over each other, trying to get out of the bucket, and in the process, none of them escape because they keep pulling each other back d...
Tue, Sep 04 2018

Disclosure without Consent - A Blister among People with...
Confessions of a DeafBlind Mother How many of you that have a friend or relative with a disability and when you introduce them to other people it goes like:"This is Steve, he's [insert disability]".Right off the bat you let a stranger know the other's person's "faults". (as it feels to us).This was posted on Facebook a while back by J. Sims:"Disempowerment by disclosing something personal like about a...
Tue, Aug 28 2018

Fun Friday -
Confessions of a DeafBlind Mother It's Friday!!!​Time for a little fun! And we can do so much more.....LawyerDoctorCounselorMechanicCraftsperson - woodwork, art, sculpture, photography, and all creative mediumsActor, Director, Producer, and all aspects of TheaterCook, caterer, food trucks, and all aspects of culinary artsSo much more!And yes......Deaf people can drive!Have a great weekend! ...
Fri, Aug 24 2018

That's MY Spot! - What to Do When Someone's Illegally...
Confessions of a DeafBlind Mother Yeah, I know I sound like Sheldon Cooper from "The Big Bang Theory", but seriously how many times those of us with handicap parking placards try and find a parking spot and find some idiot in it instead?The excuses these people give:I'm just going to be a minute - sure, sureI hurt my back/knee/foot/whatever and need it too - then go through the proper channels and get...
Mon, Aug 20 2018

It's a Spectrum Y'all!!
Confessions of a DeafBlind Mother For many people when they hear the word "Deafblind" they automatically picture Helen Keller - completely deaf and completely blind.I'll let you in on a BIG fact - it's a SPECTRUM y'all! Photo by Darius Bashar on Unsplash What is a Spectrum? The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines Spectrum as:  "Used to classify something, or suggest that it can be classifie...
Thu, Aug 16 2018

Listen Up you Dumb, Ignorant Reporters!
Confessions of a DeafBlind Mother No, not you political reporters - go back to your petty squabbles.I'm talking about those reporters who write about people with disabilities. Yeah I called you dumb and ignorant. Hurts don't it?Then maybe you should stop using such bullshit terms when writing about us, hmm? The words you use to describe people with disabilities are very patronizing and paint us in a n...
Thu, Aug 09 2018

How to Recycle your Old Posts
Confessions of a DeafBlind Mother The fifth and last part in my series "How to Start your Freelance Career"So far we've learned:How to get startedHow to get inspiredHow to write quicklyHow to write for the webToday I'll tell you how to recycle your old posts and still make money off of them. Recycle your old posts and articles Organize your Files First If you've been blogging and writing artic...
Fri, Aug 03 2018

Writing for the Web - 6 Great Tips
Confessions of a DeafBlind Mother Remember in High School and College you were taught the APA writing style? To always have a title page, an abstract summary, the body with introduction, method, results, and discussion - yadayada.Well, that won't work on the internet so toss all that out. People get bored easily with large paragraphs and information. Here's a secret - Internet readers are scanners. Th...
Mon, Jul 30 2018

How to Churn out Blog Posts and Articles Quickly
Confessions of a DeafBlind Mother Continuing with the freelance writing theme of the last two posts, I want to show you how to write blogs and articles quickly. Created on Canva ©DeafblindConfessions 10 Tips on Writing Faster Between having several freelance clients, this blog, and my family commitments and soon a busy upcoming SignOn fall schedule - it can get overwhelming.There's b...
Tue, Jul 24 2018

Where to Get Inspiration
Confessions of a DeafBlind Mother Written by Melisa MarzettCreativity and inspiration go hand in hand. Many people understand the dependence: inspiration has appeared, the creative process is being launched. However, more often it is the other way around: in the creative process, a creative impulse inspiration is born, which brings you a new creative path and gives birth to creative success. Pho...
Mon, Jul 09 2018

Start your Freelance Writing Career
Confessions of a DeafBlind Mother Ever thought of starting your own freelance writing career but don't know where or how to begin?I've been freelance writing for about 3 years and blogging professionally for 5 years. It took a while to find my footing so I want to help you get started right away. Start a Blog The best way to start freelancing is to start a blog or at least a website for your writing...
Tue, Jul 03 2018

Fifth Day of Deafblind Awareness Week 2018 - Learning...
Confessions of a DeafBlind Mother It's Friday!!Last day of my Deafblind Awareness Week posts and I thought I'd share some resources for you to learn more about Deafblindness.WebsitesNational Center on Deafblindness - Resources for teachers, parents, individuals on various Deafblind accessible technology, webinars, information and more.National Family Association for Deaf-Blind -  Largest national ...
Fri, Jun 29 2018

Fourth Day of Deafblind Awareness Day - Barriers to...
Confessions of a DeafBlind Mother Deafblind Awareness week is almost over and I hope you're learning new things about the Deafblind community. If you want to read more, check out the #DeafblindAwarenessWeek hashtag on social media.Now if you have been following my website or know me - you'll know I'm always expressing that Deafblind people can be independent and live fulfilling lives on their own.​B...
Thu, Jun 28 2018

Third Day of Deafblind Awareness Week - Our Successes
Confessions of a DeafBlind Mother Now that we got the dirty business out of the way, let's look at the successes of various Deafblind people: Helen KellerEveryone thinks of this woman first when they hear "Deafblind". She's the first Deafblind woman to graduate with a Bachelor's degree (Radcliffe, 1904) and has written numerous books and many public appearances. The drawback from her success though ...
Wed, Jun 27 2018

Second Day of Deafblind Awareness Week 2018 - 10 Mistakes ...
Confessions of a DeafBlind Mother Following up to yesterday's post about the bad wording and treating the deafblind man as a prop, I came across this article from The Mighty that is really helpful to remember for the Deafblind as well.10 Mistakes That Hurt Blind People the MostThere are many aspects of blindness that I wish were more universally understood: What we typically do and do not need help wi...
Tue, Jun 26 2018

First Day of Deafblind Awareness Week 2018 & I'm Upset
Confessions of a DeafBlind Mother This week in June marks Deafblind Awareness Week and a Facebook post that spread all over social media last Friday has me upset and irritated.Here's the Facebook post:The wording throughout is very patronizing and "ableist" and painted the deafblind man as totally helpless."The gentleman next to him did his best to assist him with things like opening coffee creamer an...
Mon, Jun 25 2018

Three Year Transplant-versary!
Confessions of a DeafBlind Mother Today marks three years since I got a kidney transplant.June 24, 2015So, I wanted to post the Facebook interactions before, during and after to show the progress:* January 7, 2013 - Nephrology Appointment - Kidney Function slipped to 16%* August 6, 2013 - Registered on the Kidney Transplant list inTulsa (it's closer)* May 13, 2014 - Nephrology Appointment - Kidney Fun...
Sun, Jun 24 2018

De-Clutter Your Life - The Garage
Confessions of a DeafBlind Mother Hey! This will be the last post of this de-cluttering series. Next week is Deafblind Awareness Week so I wanted to focus on that. Thank you for following along with me on this de-clutter your life challenge.Now on to the garage, or shed, or storage unit...Photo by Kevin Wolf on UnsplashClean out the GarageLike before, sort everything into different piles according to ...
Thu, Jun 21 2018

De-Clutter your Life - The Closet
Confessions of a DeafBlind Mother Now it's time to clean out probably one of the most cluttered places in our house.Who else has kids (or adults) that open a closet door, throw in shoes or things and quickly shut the door again before the rebound? Or have a closet that seems to have more stuff on the floor than on hangers or shelves?Yeah....Let's go!Photo by Parker Burchfield on UnsplashClearing out y...
Tue, Jun 19 2018

De-Clutter your Life - The Bedroom
Confessions of a DeafBlind Mother Now we've come to a room that's regarded as a safe retreat from the rest of the world. Where we can go and relax.But it's hard to relax if your bedroom is cluttered right?​Let's get started:Photo by Lilian Dibbern on UnsplashDe-Clutter the BedroomLet's toss some stuff:Clothes that are too small or too bigClothes you haven't touched in a yearOld or uncomfortable shoe...
Fri, Jun 15 2018

De-Clutter Your Life - The Bathroom
Confessions of a DeafBlind Mother Now onto the bathroom.C'mon, y'all know for many ladies this is the most cluttered room in the house. With all the hair accessories and supplies and all the makeup brushes, kits, sponges, moisturizers, and other self-care products scattered across the countertop and in drawers.Then there's the kids bathroom with bath toys, toothpaste streaks, leftover snacks, clothes ...
Wed, Jun 13 2018

De-Clutter your Life - The Living Room
Confessions of a DeafBlind Mother Hey y'all! How was the kitchen de-clutter? Things looking better?​Let's move on to the next big challenge - the living room!Photo by Nick Hillier on UnsplashDe-Clutter the Living RoomLet's start with things we can clear out:Outdated Newspapers and MagazinesJunk Mail and Outdated PaperworkGames with pieces missingGames never playedUnused CDs/DVDs/Video GamesOutgrown ...
Tue, Jun 12 2018

De--Clutter your Life - The Kitchen
Confessions of a DeafBlind Mother It's time to tackle the rooms! Let's start with the kitchen today. Remember during any of the de-cluttering steps to ask yourself questions if it needs to stay or go.​Let's get started: Photo by Chris Lawton on Unsplash Clearing out the Bakeware & Baking Equipment Let's start with the Bakeware and things we bake with:A typical inventory for the family cook...
Mon, Jun 11 2018

De-Clutter Your Life - Mindset
Confessions of a DeafBlind Mother Hey y'all! Sorry this is late, I actually thought it was Saturday - yeah it's been that kind of week.Since I will be starting on the big de-cluttering jobs over the next few weeks, I wanted to prepare with the right mindset.Photo by Annie Spratt on UnsplashPreparing Mentally for De-ClutteringEarlier this week I showed you the list of questions to ask yourself when you...
Fri, Jun 08 2018

De-Clutter Your Life - Your Purse / Wallet
Confessions of a DeafBlind Mother You might have notice I'm starting small this week, just to get the habit started. The next few weeks I'll be going from room to room.​But for now, let's do a small but important area - our purse, briefcase, wallet, planner - whatever you carry around with you on almost a daily basis.Image: Lyn Marsteller, blog.purseperfector.comClean out and tossFirst let's get rid...
Thu, Jun 07 2018

De-Clutter Your Life - Filing Cabinet
Confessions of a DeafBlind Mother Today let's tackle that old filing cabinet (or whatever filing system you're using.Is it hard to insert new papers into it due to overcrowding? Is it hard to find what you're looking for?Time for an overhaul and here's how:Cleaning your filing systemLet's de-clutter our filing system:1. Get a ShredderFirst things first, get a good shredder that can really cut up your ...
Wed, Jun 06 2018

De-Clutter Your Life - List of Questions
Confessions of a DeafBlind Mother Let's start de-cluttering our house, office and other parts of our life.I want to start with a list of questions you need to ask whenever you pick up an item - whether it be an item of clothing, a book, a knick knack, collectible - anything and everything.Questions to Ask Yourself When De-clutteringIf you're unsure if you should get rid of something, ask yourself the ...
Tue, Jun 05 2018

10 Finest Tips For Remodeling Playrooms For Children With...
Confessions of a DeafBlind Mother Children spend quite a large amount of time playing while they grow up. In order to make this safe and easier to monitor playrooms were invented. Playrooms are not only beneficial to the kid but also to the adult. Firstly, toys won't be scattered around the house making it hard for your child to locate his or her toys and there will be less injuries to the adult from ...
Mon, Jun 04 2018

De-Clutter Your Life - Your Gadgets
Confessions of a DeafBlind Mother In today's modern society, many of us aren't very far from our cell phone, tablet or computer. Whether we need them for work or staying in contact with our family and our social media family, these gadgets tend to get cluttered.Let's look at a few ways to de-clutter our favorite gadgets:Photo by Rami Al-zayat on UnsplashHow to clear your gadgetsI'm hoping you have del...
Mon, Jun 04 2018

13 Dazzling Tips For Cleaning And Organizing Your...
Confessions of a DeafBlind Mother There is nothing more disgusting than a badly smelling and massively disorganized refrigerator. A disorganized refrigerator will leave you disoriented and even disorganize you when you're in search for a snack, and a dirty fridge makes the food just look worse than it is.Always keeping your refrigerator squeaky clean and organized to the teeth makes you feel better, p...
Fri, Jun 01 2018

A New Challenge - De-Clutter Your Life!
Confessions of a DeafBlind Mother Time to De-Clutter! It's June Already??!!Like I said back in April when my poll was tied that I'd do two back-to-back Challenges. We did the Productivity Challenge for May. Now that we know how to be more productive we can start de-cluttering our home, our workspace and our life.I hope you follow along and make your life easier with less stuff.I will be posting a gu...
Fri, Jun 01 2018

Challenge Yourself to be More Productive - Last Day!...
Confessions of a DeafBlind Mother Hi!Sorry there wasn't a post yesterday, I had two writing deadlines to meet.Today's the last day of this Challenges so I want to review and rehash the major points to become a productive person. Productivity Habits Review The major points to be more productive are:1. Track your time - Find how much time it takes to do each task throughout your day. Are you spending...
Thu, May 31 2018

Challenge Yourself to be More Productive - Day 29...
Confessions of a DeafBlind Mother Hi, I hope everyone had a good long weekend.Today I wanted to list some books of interest that'll help improve your productivity and time management.​Enjoy your reading!Books on Prodivitityamzn_assoc_tracking_id = "deafblindconf-20";amzn_assoc_ad_mode = "manual";amzn_assoc_ad_type = "smart";amzn_assoc_marketplace = "amazon";amzn_assoc_region = "US";amzn_assoc_design...
Tue, May 29 2018

Challenge yourself to be more Productive - Day 25...
Confessions of a DeafBlind Mother Memorial Weekend's coming up and I was out of town all morning, so today I'm going to just post a few video talks for inspiration. Have a great long weekend y'all!! [...]
Fri, May 25 2018

Challenge Yourself to be More Productive - Day 24...
Confessions of a DeafBlind Mother One week left in this challenge and I hope it has been beneficial to date. If you have any other tips or methods you use to stay productive at work, please share them with me.You've got the basics for great productivity, got some motivation going and things are moving along well.....then something interrupts.....and another interruption.We've all had interruptions, wh...
Thu, May 24 2018