2axend

Do you know about the DDBHH Tax, also known as the Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing Tax? Tune in to watch Corey Axelrod, 2axend founder and CEO, in his latest #ConversationsWithCorey video as he breaks down examples of how being Deaf, DeafBlind or hard of hearing comes with extra costs and challenges. It's time to raise awareness for #TheDDBHHTax and push for systemic change. Watch the video to learn more about our space in #TheDisabilityTax movement! #DeafAwareness #AccessForAll

Yesterday afternoon, our founder and CEO Corey Axelrod took off his thinking hat and put on his Santa hat!   During Signing Santa's visit at a Chicagoland area school, he brought smiles and laughter to more than 30 deaf and hard of hearing children.   Now, for an important question, what do you think the two were talking about? –– Image Description: The image shows a cheerful holiday scene with a child sitting on Santa Claus's lap. The child, dressed in a vibrant blue shirt and patterned pants, smiles joyfully. Santa Claus is wearing his traditional red suit, white gloves, black belt, and a fluffy white beard, spreading his arms wide in a welcoming gesture. Behind them, a festive display includes a red-brick fireplace backdrop, a banner reading "Happy Holidays!" and colorful stockings hanging above a paper fire.

Systemic change is needed to ensure all individuals have full and equal access to effective communication in healthcare-related environments. This was one of the topics on hand during last weekend’s 2024 Engagement Conference that was hosted by Obioma and the amazing Nevada Commission for Persons who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing team. Our founder and CEO Corey Axelrod was privileged to share the stage with ACHE Nevada's Uvette Francis – together, they discussed opportunities to drive advocacy and systemic change in healthcare. During this session, the Deaf and hard of hearing participants highlighted a significant disconnect with healthcare/pharmacy providers. Unfortunately, this issue is not isolated in Nevada, but rather is something many Deaf and hard of hearing individuals encounter on a national level. With that said, while you're reading this post, a Deaf or hard of hearing individual may be visiting their doctor's office or local pharmacy store and leaving without fully understanding the instructions provided by their doctor and pharmacist.

Excluding someone in the moment sends a clear message: their inclusion isn’t worth the effort. At 2axend, we’re highlighting comments like "I’ll tell you later; it’s not that important" as part of our #TheDDBHHTax campaign. Inclusion isn’t optional—it’s essential. Watch our latest video to learn why these moments matter. Then, share your thoughts: How would you address this? Below are three ideas to help you get started: 1. Pause the conversation and summarize the moment in real time— this reinforces that you value inclusion. 2. Ask the person, “Would you like me to share now or later?”—it gives them control. 3. Use tools like captions, recordings with live transcripts, notes, etc. to make knowledge sharing accessible for everyone. #DeafAwareness #InclusionMatters #Accessibility

“You’ve achieved so much despite being Deaf." What seems like a compliment often reinforces harmful stereotypes. 2axend's #TheDDBHHTax campaign sheds light on common microaggressions. Watch the latest video to see the impact of these words—and share your thoughts on how to foster genuine inclusion. #TheDDBHHTax #DeafAwareness #InclusionMatters

Early Bird registration is now open for the 2025 Deaf in Healthcare Summit for Interpreters taking place on April 25-27, 2025! The theme for the 5th annual virtual summit is “Shaping the Future Together.” Our primary goals include elevating the quality of healthcare interpreters and optimizing the provision of interpreting services. We'll be featuring a variety of informative sessions, including interactive presentations and armchair discussions. All sessions are designed to provide interpreters with insight, solutions and best practices to position Deaf and hard of hearing consumers for success in healthcare settings. We anticipate finalizing the conference schedule by the end of January 2025, if not sooner. Updates will be posted on the summit website and shared via social media and email. Early bird pricing information is listed at https://lnkd.in/grpva25z. For more information and to register, visit www.2axend.com/summit. –– Image Description: Early Bird promo for the 2025 Deaf in Healthcare Summit for Interpreters. The promo includes the summit logo and dates (April 25-27, 2025), as well as the URL to register: www.2axend.com/summit. There is also a disclaimer that Early Bird Rates end January 15, 2025. #DIHCSummit25 and Powered by 2axend are also displayed on the bottom of the image.

Earlier today, our founder and CEO Corey Axelrod and My Deaf Therapy CEO and Clinical Director Dr. Heather Hunt kicked off a webinar series hosted by the California Department of Developmental Services on ensuring mental health care professionals operate with a strengths-based approach when supporting the unique needs of Deaf+ individuals, particularly those who have Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDDs). As this is a topic that is not often discussed in great detail amongst the overarching mental health care community, we were thrilled to have more than 350 participants with us today and look forward to the subsequent sessions! –– Image Description: This is a screenshot of a webinar. On the left is a PowerPoint slide with the following text: "A reminder... Power, privileges and biases may impact encounters/interactions." On the top-right is Corey Axelrod's video. He is signing. Underneath this is Dr. Hunt's video – she is looking at her screen.

Last week’s Deaf and Hard of Hearing Experiences in Healthcare Summit brought together champions from all over the United States and Canada to exchange ideas and resources, learn from one another, and drive health equity and outcomes for signing and non-signing Deaf, DeafBlind and hard of hearing individuals. With 75+ organizations represented during the summit, the future looks bright! #DHHSummit24 –– Image Description: Image of a testimonial from a 2024 Deaf and Hard of Hearing Experiences in Healthcare Summit attendee. Testimonial reads: “I enjoyed the robust conversations; the topics were very relevant to my job and my desire to advocate for this particular population. I found the presentations to be eminently practical, which is very welcome at this juncture.”

We wrapped up the 2024 Deaf and Hard of Hearing Experiences in Healthcare Summit by bringing together four experts in language access law and service leaders to discuss legal requirements, financial implications, and practical approaches to compliance.   Vonessa Phillips Costa, Shawn Norris, Mara Youdelman and Dr. Bill Rivers analyzed the impact of unfunded mandates for language access on healthcare organizations’ financial and operational capacities; discussed different strategies and approaches for healthcare organizations to implement in order to comply with requirements while managing costs effectively; and provided numerous recommendations to integrate language access services into broader healthcare equity and inclusion initiatives.   This session was well-timed, especially as there is significant worry amongst members of the disability community, including those who are Deaf, DeafBlind and hard of hearing, about access in healthcare due to the upcoming changes of leadership at the federal level.   #DHHSummit24   –– Image Description: The image is a screenshot of a Zoom meeting with six participants displayed in a grid layout. Top row: - Shawn Norris is in the top left corner. He has short dark hair, a beard, and is wearing glasses and a suit jacket. Behind him is a colorful background with books and plants. - Vonessa Costa is in the middle. She has shoulder-length dark hair and is wearing glasses and a green top. The background shows a room with a door. - Aaryn, the ASL/English interpreter, is in the top right corner. She has light hair tied back and is wearing glasses and a dark top. There is a small plant on the table in front of her. Bottom Row: - Mara Youdelman is in the bottom right. She has dark hair and is wearing a blue patterned top. The background includes the logo "National Health Law." - Bill Rivers is in the middle. He has a mustache and is wearing glasses and a blue plaid jacket. The background shows a room with shelves. - David, the ASL interpreter, is in the bottom right. He has short light hair and is wearing a blue shirt. He is signing/interpreting.

Have you ever thought about what happens when an individual is discharged from the hospital after a major medical event and does not understand the discharge instructions? This often results in low- or non-adherence and, ultimately, readmissions and/or poor patient outcomes. Unfortunately, this is the reality for many Deaf, DeafBlind and hard of hearing individuals! We were so fortunate to have Dr. James Huang, Katie Prins McCarthy, MBA, CPACC, Michael McKee, MD, MPH, Dr. Kruti Shah, and Jaime Wilson, Ph.D., ABN, ABPP with us this morning to discuss different elements of safe discharge planning and solutions that healthcare organizations should put in place to ensure that these community members are positioned for success during the discharge process, regardless of whether they are being discharged to go home or to another healthcare-related facility. #DHHSummit24 –– Image Description: This image shows a Zoom video conference with six participants, each in their own video window. Top left is a man wearing glasses and a dark jacket with a University of Michigan logo, labeled "Michael McKee." His background is blurred. Top right is a man with short gray hair and a beard, wearing a blue shirt and tie, labeled "Jaime Wilson." He is in front of a solid blue background. Middle left is a woman with long dark hair, wearing a blazer, labeled "Kruti Shah PharmD (she/her)." Her background is blurred. Middle right is a woman with long curly hair and glasses, labeled as "ASL/Eng Interpreter | Aaryn (she/her)." She is sitting in front of a green wall with a small plant on the table beside her. Bottom left is a woman with long blonde hair and glasses, labeled "Katie McCarthy (she/they)." She is signing mid-sentence, with a blurred background. Bottom right is a man with short hair and glasses, wearing a light-colored shirt, labeled "James Huang (he/him)." He is sitting in an office with a window behind him.