Vision
What would happen if one day you woke up hearing nothing? What would happen if you found out that you couldn’t hear your alarm? What would happen if suddenly the only way you could hear was to depend on an electronic device?
This is what I face when I wake up every morning. I wake up to absolute silence and fall asleep to absolute silence. I am only able to hear the world around me when I click on a little silver button on my cochlear implant.
My name is Karina Cotran and welcome to my website!
On here, you’ll find:
- A blog about my experiences living with hearing loss, and my musings around accessibility/inclusion
- A resource hub of tips, tricks and guides on navigating disabilities - with a focus on hearing loss
Who am I?
I am many things - an avid writer and reader, a passionate advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion, a lover of nature, an aspiring entrepreneur and the list goes on. But above all, I am human - with the innate desire to feel safe and included in whatever environment I’m in - and so are you.
I was diagnosed with profound hearing loss at three years old. Growing up, I often felt excluded, and I always thought it was because of my hearing loss, but I’ve come to realize it’s because the world was not made for individuals with hearing loss - or for anyone with any disability.
That realization pushed me to advocate for those with disabilities by making the environment around them a more accessible one - and it starts with the first step - remembering that we are all human, with strengths, weaknesses, passions and the desire to belong.
Values & Vision
People find themselves with a disability at one point in their lives, whether it’s temporary or permanent - and experience a moment where they struggle with getting the right accommodations, because the environment around them wasn’t built for disabilities.
Each person’s experience living with a disability is unique, but one thing remains universal - the desire to belong. My goal is to help those that feel marginalized because of their disability and to be able to leave the world a more equitable place than I found it.