DETROIT – The pandemic and changes it has brought have been uniquely challenging for the hearing impaired.
On Monday at Ford Field one man tried to set an example for others about not being afraid to get vaccinated.
Those who are deaf or hard of hearing use expression and even lip reading to communicate.
You can imagine how eager the deaf community is to one day live in a mask free world and the more people who get vaccinated will bring us closer to that reality.
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Teddy Dorsette, 35, is deaf and got his first dose of the vaccine at Ford Field on Monday.
“I am excited to be here because it’s really important for us. I mean we’re getting vaccinated. I’m really excited about that and so I thought I’d take the opportunity to get it as soon as I could,” said Dorsette.
Dorsette says the pandemic has been especially isolating for the deaf community.
“We were getting information secondhand most of the time. We’re getting it at a delayed rate compared to everybody else. And it’s been very difficult for those in the deaf and hard of hearing community,” said Dorsette.
Dorsette is excited that he’s doing his part to hopefully one day be closer to a time where we won’t have to wear masks.
“We want to understand those of us who are around us, to see what your face is doing, what your facial expressions are. That’s paramount,” said Dorsette.
But underneath the mask, Dorsette is smiling, full of gratitude toward the people who made this day possible.
“We really want to say thank you to governor Whitmer for providing access for us to get our vaccines and really, we’re going to continue to fight as a community to prioritize the needs of the deaf and hard of hearing and really the disability community in general,” said Dorsette.
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Related: More than 13,000 people vaccinated at Ford Field in first 3 days