MAY 18, 2020 — Alumna Emma Faye Rudkin ’18 is helping the hearing-impaired individuals on a larger scale.
Gov. Greg Abbott has reappointed Rudkin, who is the founder and CEO of Aid the Silent, for a second term to the Governor’s Committee on People with Disabilities. Rudkin is one of 12 people appointed to the committee this year and will serve until her term expires in February 2021.
“This is personal to serve because, as a deaf individual with a service dog, I go through many of the experiences brought to the attention of the committee. I service clients through Aid the Silent who need equal access that is greatly connected to the policy and the recommendations we make,” Rudkin said.
“My firsthand experience adds to the committee. I hope to lessen the barriers between people with disabilities so that they can have equal access to everything else that their peers are able to have the opportunity to.”
With this role, Rudkin said she represents the voice of the overall struggles for the deaf community in Texas.
“Our committee makes recommendations that impact every aspect of the quality of life for people with disabilities,” she said. “The 12 appointed members make sure we are facilitating between the respective state agencies and the public testimonies representing real injustices to the community that has disabilities, and then we put together a report to Governor Abbott.”
Some issues Rudkin hopes to address with her role include the inadequate mandated amount of accessible vans available to people who need wheelchair transportation through ride shares as well as the limited access children who are deaf have to technology for interpreters and captioning during the coronavirus pandemic.
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