Dr Kelly Fleming

Life is a journey, each person's journey is unique.

  • Accessibility needs to be a priority

    I’ve always been an advocate for accessibility and more needs to be done in our communities My fight for accessibility actually began with my parents who fought for the right for me to go to a local school when no other Deaf kid had ever been in our school board system. Then after my accident Continue reading

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  • Getting help for Mental Illness is not a bad thing

    The most important thing I’ve ever done was to ask for help for my mental health and it turned into a life changing experience I’ve dealt with mental health issues almost all my life. One problem that I faced was the stigma of mental illness which made me not want to get help for a Continue reading

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  • Kindness

    A random encounter with a stranger that stuck out positively to me. The second year of my journey with breast cancer, things were hard for me. I had hit a wall emotionally. I was walking down the street one Sunday with Dayton and a lady stopped to ask questions about Dayton. He was wearing his Continue reading

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  • A Weekend Getaway

    There is a significant difference between planning for a weekend getaway for abled and disabled people. If you don’t have a disability, you look online for a hotel in the area you want to go, check the price range, like it and book it! Then pack your bags and head off for your nice relaxing Continue reading

  • I will succeed

    “Are you stupid?” uttered to me the first day of kindergarten has stayed with me for 45 years and will continue to stay with me my entire life. I decided that day that I would show people I wasn’t stupid because I’m Deaf. It has, most likely contributed to me becoming an overachiever but aside Continue reading

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  • Mental Illness and Disability

    Mental Illness is still stigmatized in society. As a result, people are not seeking the help they need or would like. Those that do seek help are often faced with barriers preventing them from accessing assistance. I want to discuss barriers that Disabled People have in accessing assistance. Disabled people have to fight for access. Continue reading

  • What Can’t You Do?

    🙄⁉️🤦‍♀️ I make no apologies when I say this is one of the stupidest questions I’ve been asked countless times in my life. The first thought that comes to me is – this person only sees my disabilities, they can’t see me. I have only two responses : ° I can’t hear ° I can’t Continue reading

  • “Despite Your Disabilities”

    Oh, how much do I hate this phrase? I’ve heard it dozens of times and it feels like a knife cutting through me. It is said by well-meaning abled people who just don’t understand how hurtful these words actually are to someone who is disabled. When I moved into my second apartment, I had already Continue reading

  • To Go or To Stay

    I was born Deaf. My Mum realized I was Deaf before I was two years old. She taught herself about speech therapy for Deaf children using resources from the library. My speech therapy began before I was three years old. It was exhausting and frustrating. I had some residual hearing but not enough to be Continue reading

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  • My 50th Birthday

    Today is my 50th birthday. It is a bittersweet day for me. I never thought I’d live to see 50. Let me share with you why this is a bittersweet day for me. At the age of six, my parents took me to the Emergency Room as I was literally dying in my Mum’s arms. Continue reading