Monday, November 5, 2012

Zine Review: Deafula #4


Deafula #4
40 pages / 1/4 legal / $4
PO Box 1665
Southampton PA 19866


In Deafula # 4, Kerri exposes the truth of what it is like to ask for / need a reasonable accommodation for employment. The ADA was passed over 20 years ago but is a system of laws that essentially have no teeth. The official unemployment rate among people with disabilities hovers around 15% but in reality, if you count every issue that qualified as a “disability” that rate is over 70% as most people with disabilities – especially when one factors in people with developmental disabilities or mental health issues who have never been active in the workforce. Kerri deftly unmasks the horror of applying for work as a deaf person and the incredible barriers and attitudes that she experienced from prospective employers in job searches. She discusses accommodation issues in detail including the ambiguous language in the ADA. Deafula is on my must-read list: an exceptional zine that is very well written and visually appealing. Every issue is an education in itself. 

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