Shows
Think InclusiveUnveiling The Deaf Experience: Rachel Zemach's Identity Transformation JourneyAbout the Guest(s):Rachel Zemach is a deaf author and former educator with a passionate career centered around advocating for deaf students. Her profound experiences in mainstream education as a deaf teacher culminated in the writing of her book, "The Butterfly Cage: Joy, Heartache, and Corruption Teaching While Deaf in a California Public School," published in 2023. Rachel, who became deaf at the age of 10, is a strong proponent of positive deaf identity and sign language, striving to raise awareness about the challenges faced by deaf students in mainstream educational settings. She currently resides in Northern...2025-06-261h 05
To the Classroom: Conversations with Researchers & Educators31. Dr. Leala Holcomb -- Equitable Literacy Instruction for Deaf and Hard of Hearing StudentsMy guest today is Dr. Leala Holcomb, a researcher of deaf education at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, who accepted my invitation to teach us all about what true equity and inclusion looks like when supporting deaf children’s language and literacy development. At Dr. Holcomb’s request, I interviewed them in writing via a collaborative online document, and I have hired a voice actor, Ginna Hoben, to read Dr. Holcomb’s words for this podcast interview. As with all episodes, a transcript of this episode is available at my website, JenniferSerravallo.com/podcast.***To rea...2024-01-2949 min
Stuart Sax: Someone You Should KnowSomeone You Should Know with Host Stuart Sax and Guest Rachel ZemachIn this episode of "Someone You Should Know," Stuart Sax talks with Rachel Zemach, who is the author of The Butterfly Cage. She is also legally deaf and is a teacher of the deaf in California.
Visit Rachel's website at https://rachelzemach.com/ where you can also purchase her book.
Transcripts of this episode can be accessed at https://docs.google.com/document/d/1caXxuel1-9d92E17JrLMrlWHW2lubr3KcRDYUZYywq0/edit?usp=sharing
Join us every Wednesday on Facebook, LinkedIn, or YouTube.
...2024-01-0346 min
What It's Like To...What It's Like To Be Deaf and Advocate for the Deaf CommunitySend us a textAt age 10, Rachel Zemach lost her her hearing in an accident. That obviously changed her life--but, she says, becoming deaf was one of her life's greatest gifts. In this episode, Rachel shares her experiences going through the world with and without hearing, and offers advice on how hearing people can help and advocate for deaf people (including words and actions both to use and to avoid--hint: don't assume all deaf people can lip read!). Rachel also offers her opinions about cochlear implants; teaching deaf kids and their parents American Sign Language; the strength and...2023-12-1340 min
Living the Dream with CurveballLiving the dream with author and teacher of the deaf Rachel ZemachSend us a textRachel Zemach became Deaf at age ten so she has speech. A career teaching Deaf students in a public school had her completely revising her sense of identity. It awoke a passion in Rachel, as well as outrage, about the abysmal state of our education of 85% Deaf/hard of hearing children in the US. This is un-necessary, for its solutions are simple and strongly advocated by Deaf adults, however the hearing world does not have access to this vital information. Parents are told by specialists NOT to learn sign language, and children are losing...2023-08-2528 min
Late Night Health RadioThe Butterfly CageRachel Zemach became Deaf at age ten, and has lived with one foot in both the Deaf and hearing worlds since then. After teaching Deaf students for ten years in a hearing, public school she became more solidified in her Deaf-with-a-capital-D identity. She loved thee job passionately but found it a shockingly, un-necessarily obstacle-laden environment for Deaf students and felt compelled to write a memoir describing it, with the goal of educating hearing people and enacting change. The Butterfly Cage came out April 26, 2023 and has gotten strong reviews. As a Deaf person, she doesn’t listen to radio, an...2023-08-0821 minLate Night Health RadioThe Butterfly CageRachel Zemach became Deaf at age ten, and has lived with one foot in both the Deaf and hearing worlds since then. After teaching Deaf students for ten years in a hearing, public school she became more solidified in her Deaf-with-a-capital-D identity. She loved thee job passionately but found it a shockingly, un-necessarily obstacle-laden environment for Deaf students and felt compelled to write a memoir describing it, with the goal of educating hearing people and enacting change. The Butterfly Cage came out April 26, 2023 and has gotten strong reviews. As a Deaf person, she doesn’t listen to radio, an...2023-08-0821 min
The Art of Medicine with Dr. Andrew Wilner"The Butterfly Cage": an interview with author Rachel ZemachDr. Wilner would love your feedback! Click here to send a text! Thanks!It's a pleasure to welcome Rachel Zemach to The Art of Medicine with Dr. Andrew Wilner.Rachel is the author of the new book, “The Butterfly Cage, joy, heartache, and corruption: Teaching while Deaf in a California public school.” Rachel was born hearing impaired in one ear but learned to speak. However, at age 10 she had an accident that suddenly rendered her deaf. She wore a hearing aid, learned sign language, and has become an advocate for the Deaf...2023-08-0632 min
KPFA - Sunday ShowSunday Show – July 16, 2023 “Cold War II” and “Deaf in a Talking World”In the first hour, “Cold War II” with Anthony D’Agostino.
In the second hour, “Deaf in a Talking World” with Rachel Zemach.
Below is a transcript of the second hour of the show
Philip Maldari: You’re listening to “The Sunday Show” here on KPFA. I am Philip Maldari, and in this hour, I’m very pleased to be joined in by Rachel Zemach.
Rachel has completed a memoir of her life titled, The Butterfly Cage: Joy, Heartache and Corruption Teaching While Deaf in California Public...2023-07-161h 20
The Personal ElementEpisode 20: I'm Deaf And I Have 'Perfect' Speech. Here's Why It's Actually A Nightmare. In Rachel Zemach's essay, first published in Huffpost, we learn that for a deaf person, being able to speak is not superior to communicating in ASL (American Sign Language). Rachel lost her hearing as a ten-year-old girl and as a result, can speak clearly--unlike many people who are deaf. But this doesn't give her an advantage. In fact, complications arise when people assume that if she can speak, she can hear. In this informative essay, we learn through Rachel's honesty and humor that there are many ways to communicate. 2023-02-1531 min
Be #PeopleSmartMyth Busting - It could be a sign, but maybe not?Jodie Greer, Founder of Be #PeopleSmart, chats with Simon Houghton, Management Consultant and Deaf Awareness Campaigner, about - well - deaf awareness of course.Simon, who is deaf, shares some of his own experiences and how that lead him to launch a very successful deaf awareness campaign, with training, during the pandemic.Among other things Jodie and Simon aim to dispel the myths that:"Captions meet the needs of all deaf people"; and"All deaf people use sign language".Jodie also talks about a great article by Rachel Zemach...2022-05-0555 min