Welcome to my podcast, The Wellness Project with Des. On today’s episode, I speak with Kellina Powell, a mental health advocate. Kellina is also deaf. She has dedicated her life to advocating for the deaf community and educating the community on the unique mental health issues the deaf community faces.
Kellina went deaf at the age of four years old due to an infection and the medicine not being correctly administered by her daycare. Her grandmother, being a nurse and working in the health field was able to help her family navigate her needs. Kellina was lost and confused because everything sounded different through the hearing aids, including her mother’s voice. She had many doctor appointments and regular speech therapy appointments. The number of appointments was overwhelming.
Growing up, Kellina went to a deaf school in the morning as well as a public school with a majority of hearing students. She did not like the hearing school, it was difficult for her to try and fit into two communities. She felt more confident and comfortable in her own skin at the deaf school.
Being in the hearing school full time, Kellina explains that she was bullied for the way she spoke and for having hearing aids. She was also placed in a special needs program by the administration though that wasn’t the right placement for her. Kellina states that her mental health was being impacted due to the bullying and discrimination she was facing at the hearing school.
Kellina dedicates her life to advocating for the deaf community and those that struggle with their mental health because she realized that there is not enough education about the deaf community and that the deaf community has unique mental health challenges they face. Kellina explains that many people in the deaf community struggle with anxiety when in the hearing community. She gives many tips on how we as a society can be more inclusive and educated about people with disabilities.
Listen to this episode to learn about Kellina’s journey, the obstacles the deaf community faces when seeking out mental health support, and how we can help support the deaf community.
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