Rebecca Alexander: crushing life with Usher Syndrome Just Interesting People

Rebecca is an author (Not Fade Away: A Memoir of Senses Lost and Found), psychotherapist, public speaker (including a TedTalk), group fitness instructor, extreme athlete and disability right advocate... yes, all of that!

She also has a genetic disorder called Usher Syndrome type 3, which causes her to go deaf and blind. Rebecca first started losing her sight at age 12, then her hearing a few years later. She now reads brail, is fluent in sign language and protactile sign language.

Rebecca talks to us about her journey discovering Usher Syndrome, how she coped with changes in her body as a teen but also how she is doing lots of fun things to enjoy life now (and as she says, "to feel alive") while she still has her sight and hearing (including hiking Mount Kilimanjaro).

Rebecca shares with us why it is important for her to raise awareness for her community and how important it is to find your community. Plus we talk about inspiration porn and how disabled people are just people doing normal things.

We loved this conversation and hope you do too.

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