Leala Holcomb

This is a new image from #JWST.

The bright points with spikes are stars in the Milky Way.

Everything else is a galaxy.

Everything. Else. Is. A. Galaxy.

Reach out to them and ask them! They might have disappeared for a reason that you don’t know yet.

Our paper won a Best Paper Award at #chi2025 ! It challenges the idea that Deaf tech should only be assistive. It presents alternative narratives that center deaf lives and show why we need Deaf-centred design in tech. @robinxtech.bsky.social @katta.bsky.social
programs.sigchi.org/chi/2025/pro...

Implants can help deaf kids hear—but many still struggle with spoken language Some researchers worry about risks of devaluing sign language, overreliance on imperfect devices

Although cochlear implants can give deaf children access to sound, it doesn’t always mean they have unrestricted or consistent access to language. This Science paper and podcast episode discuss how sign language can provide this access:

pca.st/episode/5e7f...

www.science.org/content/arti...

Did you know there are over 20 Black deaf scholars with PhDs in the U.S.? Want to know who they are? Check them out at blackdeafphd.com!

They seem to be happy with the changes, as they were what Trump promised. No surprises there.

This dynamic exists in deaf communities too. Sign language interpreters can feel free to give or withhold their services based on how much they like a deaf person. You always have to be super likable to avoid that dynamic emerging.

Yes, I received a few emails. Got one from the chancellor today.

In the past 20 years, I have learned that even the best approach can lead to a bad outcome, while a seemingly bad approach can sometimes work out well. These days, I feel different in my focus on learning from & understanding multiple perspectives & truths - even when my humanity is challenged. 3/3

The reality is there is no one right side, only wrestlings of power & moral codes. The pros & cons of different approaches to shared or different goals are worth exploring more deeply. We have different values that we lean on & prioritize. Things are rarely as clear-cut as we would like. 2/3

I have been intentional abt reading from different sources. I find myself respecting conservatives who challenge Republicans’ narratives & liberals who challenge Democrats’ narratives. I am increasingly not a fan of the religious-like, all-or-nothing outlook on complicated topics. 1/3

Gonna read more on this, but calling all #deafsky. This bill definitely needs to be defeated. Anyone know if folks at ISD are aware?

Part 1: Indiana Republicans want to take back in time when our language and culture were suppressed.

Summary of Indiana Senate Bill 0473’s Impact on DHH Education (can be found in sections 26-28, pages 19-21):

Thread im thread fuer den alt-text aller Screenshots im zitierten thread:

A screenshot of a document listing words flagged in a search of current NSF (National Science Foundation) awards. The heading states that the list is possibly incomplete and based on a cull from 1/10th of the awards flagged.

Science has always been political. To assume otherwise is either willful or blissful ignorance. There are no systems without analyses of power, and politics is about power.

Question for #blind or #deafblind people: are tactile posters a thing that would be welcomed? Poster sessions at conferences tend to be visual - could/should they be tactile as well? And maybe a tactile layout of the conference?

Not instead of a protactile interpreter, but in addition to.

Loved reconnecting w/ old faces & meeting new ones to discuss deaf education research @ #ACEDHH2025 conference.

I wasn’t expecting it, but I woke up this morning as the President-Elect for the ACEDHH organization! Honored and excited to work with the Board to keep pushing deaf education forward.

Hey #deaf scholars--has anyone snagged the Edhi data off the CDC yet?

I’ve been doing a lot of reflecting this weekend as I became the person in charge of planning & executing (along with an essential/committed team) a conference I first attended in 2011. I started as a shy grad student scared of making a fool of myself in front of the biggest names in my field (1/~3)

Great poster session at #ACEDHH2025! Cool research happening and it's exciting for people to discuss their work 1-on-few.

Also, and maybe it's just me, but I like when people that give full presentations also do posters about their work. Posters don't only have to be for grad students.

The #ACEDHH conference on deaf education is just getting started, and my heart is already full from the people I’ve run into so far. 🥰

A few highlights from my book: Language policy doesn't involve managing language(s) but exercising authority to impose new norms in how we interact. We don't manage language itself but who, how, where and when can participate in discourse. #linguistics #appliedlinguistics #sociolinguistics 1/x

With the suspension of USAID project, besides feeling sadness, I broadly understand why this decision was made and do contemplate on existing moral and ethical dilemmas globally and locally. As they say, hindsight is 20/20, and only time will tell. End/

There is also the question of whether redirecting funds from international work to address domestic financial issues would truly improve things here at home. With the further suspensions of NIH and NSF research awards, I do worry about the larger implications and impacts. 5/

This situation raises complex moral & ethic questions. Should nations prioritize helping others around the world due to our shared humanity? Or should they focus inward, addressing issues within their own borders first? The reality is that both approaches have value & different kinds of impact. 4/

At the same time, I understand there are larger systemic questions within the U.S. about how our resources are being used and prioritized, especially when there are challenges at home, like our own struggling education system or financial deficits that seem to never go away. 3/

This news brings a mix of emotions. I am sad because we won’t be able to see the full impact of the important work we started. It is hard knowing that colleagues in these countries, who put so much effort into this project, are losing their jobs. 2/

I have been working on a million-dollar USAID project, funded by your taxes, supporting deaf education in Rwanda, Malawi, & Philippines, collaborating w/ local Deaf researchers to create meaningful systemic changes. The work is only halfway done. We were informed the project is being suspended. 1/

Pessimist philosophy?

I have supported many deaf graduate students and currently support a deaf post doc using this mechanism. What’s happening at NIH is terrible for science and closes doors for deaf students who face so many more challenges than their hearing peers