Project Hearing

11/06/2026

Seven months ago I was laid off and what followed become the most meaningful chapters of my life!

As of today, I'm excited to begin a new role with New York State advancing digital accessibility in public service, with a full heart and a renewed sense of purpose.

I wrote about what these seven months taught me, the unexpected gift of slowing down, and why I'm returning to work with so much gratitude.

Read the full reflection on my substack. Link in bio or linked in the first comment.

11/04/2026

09/26/2026

Everything
Everywhere
All At Once

09/24/2026

I threw an amputee in the trash, and somehow a chewed-up action figure forced me to confront what I really believe about disability, worth, and different bodies.

Read the full story on Substack: https://projecthearing.substack.com/p/i-threw-an-amputee-in-the-trash

Image Descriptions: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1LOl29fLnnN8NqvVDq6rrIDRRlEN2vZzS7jYIHBEIB7g/edit?usp=sharing

09/08/2026

I spent years waiting for a more accessible world, and now I’m helping build it: join us on World Hearing Day, March 3, 2027, for the Hearing Access & Inclusion Unconference and help shape what comes next at www.bit.ly/hearing2027.

Video Description: Mariella is a woman wearing a black dress and sandals, standing on a large grassy lawn, speaking and gesturing toward the camera. Tall green trees and a playground with teal slides and climbing structures are visible behind her. On-screen captions.

09/08/2026

We’re building the first Hearing Access & Inclusion Unconference & Hackathon, and you’re invited behind the scenes.

Join us for our first live planning session as we share the vision for the event, what we’re hoping to create, and what it will take to bring it to life. We’ll talk through the event agenda, hackathon ideas, sponsors and partners, outreach, timeline, accessibility needs, volunteers, speakers, community participation, and the biggest gaps we still need help filling.

This event is being designed with the hearing loss, Deaf, hard of hearing, disability, accessibility, technology, healthcare, and innovation communities at the table from the beginning.

If you have an idea, a connection, a resource, a skill, or simply want to help build something that could move hearing access forward, come join the conversation.

The Hearing Access & Inclusion Unconference & Hackathon
March 3, 2027 | World Hearing Day

Register at www.bit.ly/hearing2027

07/26/2026

I wanted to be sad, but my sister was like.... Nope.

Video description: Mariella speaking to the camera in front of a blueberry field.

07/14/2026

Had an interview in the city today and then celebrated with LOS TACOS No.1 because personal growth for me apparently looks like professional ambition followed by tacos in Times Square.

There is something kind of surreal about sitting in a room talking about work that feels deeply aligned, then stepping back into the city that shaped so much of who you are. The girl who learned how to navigate New York with hearing loss, big feelings, and a lot to prove would be very impressed with the woman who showed up today.

Anyway, I did my part, said what I came to say, and the tacos were excellent. Los Tacos No. 1, name is correct, no notes. 😍

Image description: Mariella smiles for a selfie in Times Square while holding a plate of three tacos from Los Tacos No. 1. Yellow taxis, bright billboards, pedestrians, and a large illuminated American flag fill the busy New York City background.

07/06/2026

Hearing loss does not end at the audiology appointment.

For so many of us, especially when hearing disability is invisible, it follows us into dating, doctor’s appointments, job interviews, emergency planning, parenting, workplace access, family dynamics, and the quiet questions we carry alone. I am creating the program I needed when I was younger, before I became a mom, that I wish my bosses had access to, and that I wish my mom had seen.

Project Hearing is building support that sees the whole person: the technology, the access needs, the communication breakdowns, the exhaustion, the identity work, the internalized ableism, and the scripts we wish we had. If you have hearing loss, love or support someone with hearing loss, manage someone with hearing loss, or are raising a child with hearing loss, I am asking you to answer the call. Tell me what you are carrying, what you wish existed, and what would actually help. We are building it now.

Link in bio or go to www.bit.ly/ProjectHear

Image Description: A warm cream-colored Project Hearing graphic with torn paper notes taped around a large central message that reads, “Hearing loss does not end at the audiology appointment.” The notes name areas hearing loss can affect, including dating, doctor’s appointments, job interviews, parenting, emergency planning, workplace access, family communication, burnout, identity, and confidence. A banner below reads, “Project Hearing is building support for the whole person.” At the bottom are the Project Hearing logo, a call to action that says, “Answer the call. Tell me what you’re carrying, what you wish existed, and what would actually help,” plus a QR code and the link www.bit.ly/ProjectHear