Meet DeafHealth: Allysa Dittmar
Topics covered: suicide, therapy, and 911.*
Meet Allysa Dittmar, our Senior Director of DeafHealth. Allysa is a Deaf public health professional from Johns Hopkins. She has a keen eye for detail, but it’s her heart that she pours into DeafHealth. Here is her story…
DeafHealth is a radically different healthcare advocacy organization. We are Deaf-led, Deaf-operated, and Deaf-community-centered. Each of us represents DeafHealth. Together we are Deaf & healthy.
*We are creating a space to have safe discussions about difficult topics. If you have comments, please share with respect and consideration to others. Today, we are grateful to have accessible services like National Deaf Therapy, Deaf LEAD, Deaf Counseling Center, and more. If you or someone you know is struggling, please reach out to support services such as your physician, the local ER, or the suicide prevention hotline in ASL at www.988lifeline.org and click ASL NOW.
Stay Informed in ASL: We’ve got you covered! Sign up with your email at deafhealthaccess.org/sign-up or follow us on social media for new and current health updates.
Video Description and Transcript
Video Description:
Video Description: The post has a video thumbnail with blue shading overlaid. The middle has a text bubble that reads “Meet DeafHealth” in white text with rose background. On the bottom left corner, the text bubble reads “Topics Covered: Suicide, 911, & Therapy.” In the video: A woman with blonde long hair is standing in front of the camera and she is wearing a dark green sweater and red lipstick.
Transcript:
My defining moment when I became a healthcare advocate was when my mother passed away from suicide. That day was extremely traumatizing. I couldn’t call 911 for help. I couldn’t text 911 either. I had no access. Hearing people often don’t face these barriers. In fact, maybe they take it for granted. I looked for therapy in sign language to process my grief and trauma. I couldn’t find any. Eight years later, I finally found help in my language. Looking back, I don’t want anyone, including that little girl, to go through any of that again. It’s time to break barriers. [The screen fades to show a thumbnail of a faded white background of a doctor holding hands with another individual] Deaf. Healthy. DeafHealth. Learn more at www.deafhealthaccess.org.]