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A soft, warm-toned photo of a woman seen from the side, sitting outdoors and writing in a notebook with mountains in the background. Over the image is large white text that reads, “We Don’t Need to Be Inspiring to Deserve to Be Human,” with the word “Inspiring” circled and underlined in yellow. At the top is the name “Signable Vi5ion Inc.” and the handle @signablevision. At the bottom left is Leah Riddell’s name, and at the bottom right is the SignAble Vi5ion logo.

We Don’t Need to Be Inspiring to Deserve to Be Human

People often tell me I’m “so inspiring.” They usually mean it kindly. I know that.But over time, I’ve learned that this word carries a quiet weight, one that doesn’t always feel human. When someone calls a Deaf person inspiring, what they are often responding to is not who we are, but what we’ve survived. They are reacting to the barriers

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Overhead view of a person typing on a laptop. Text reads: “A New Year, an Old Pattern We Need to Talk About,” with “Old” circled in yellow. SignAble Vi5ion branding and Leah Riddell’s name appear on the image.

A New Year,

an Old Pattern We Need to Talk About Over the past while, and increasingly as the new year begins, I’ve been contacted by several companies looking to build ASL-based digital platforms and AI-driven programs. In each case, the outcome was the same: either I was turned down when I asked for a fair share in ownership and decision-making, or I

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Year-End Reflection | Looking Ahead to 2026

As this year comes to a close, I want to pause and say thank you. This year took me into a wide range of spaces, from corporate teams at Nestlé Canada and Baxter, to working alongside CCWESTT project management to ensure their services were accessible, to public institutions, educators, and community organizations across Canada. Alongside this work, I also had

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A small group of adults are gathered at a holiday party, holding glasses and smiling. One man stands listening, nodding and smiling politely as others speak around him, suggesting he is following along as best he can. Warm string lights and a decorated tree glow in the background, framed by SignAble Vi5ion’s maroon and gold branding.

Making Space for Everyone This Season

Holiday Parties, Family Gatherings, and the People Quietly Nodding Along Holiday work parties and family gatherings are meant to be joyful. Laughter, music, clinking glasses, overlapping conversations, all signs of celebration. But for some people, these environments are not festive. They’re exhausting, isolating, and overwhelming. You may not notice them at first.They’re smiling.They’re nodding.They’re standing close, trying to follow along.

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A young woman is shown in profile wearing a cochlear implant. Her hair is tied back in a ponytail, and she is standing outdoors in warm sunlight. The SignAble Vi5ion branding frames the image with maroon and gold accents, along with the website link at the top.

Cochlear Implants in the Workplace: A Tool, Not a Solution

And Why Assumptions Cause Harm There is a workplace misconception that never seems to disappear:“If someone has a cochlear implant, they can hear now, problem solved.” This assumption shows up in meetings, interviews, performance reviews, trainings, and even casual conversations. It comes from good intentions, but it leads to real harm. It places unrealistic expectations on Deaf employees and shifts

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The image shows a close-up of a person clapping, captured from the shoulders down. They’re wearing a ribbed, long-sleeve, burnt-orange turtleneck. The background is softly blurred, suggesting they’re in a group or audience. The design includes curved maroon and yellow shapes framing the photo, along with the SignAble Vi5ion logo and a “Visit Our Website” text with the URL in the top corner.

When Good Intentions Go Astray

How Deaf-Led Work Gets Derailed, And How We Fix It People often assume that access work just happens. A team shows up, shares ideas, offers lived experience, and suddenly progress appears. But anyone in the Deaf community knows that behind every “simple solution” is a long history of Deaf individuals pushing, advocating, creating, and educating, often unpaid, unseen, and uncredited.

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