Amanda ‘science fan girl’ Morris (she/her) 🤟🏻🌵
@AmandaMoMorris
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@washingtonpost disability reporter. Proud hard of hearing CODA & @ScienceWriters nerd Email: [email protected]
Joined March 2012
Woke up today to find that my partner was missing & got a note from a “concerned friend” asking me, an “esteemed detective” to meet them in New York to solve the case. There was also an enclosed train ticket. I love a good mystery. My weekend is about to get interesting.
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One source who has an immunocompromised, high-risk daughter, whom I interviewed for a story, has just told me that her daughter caught Covid and was life flighted to the hospital in critical condition. This pandemic is still very real & still very, very scary for some.
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A lot of disabled people have posted recently about how Twitter helped them pay their medical bills, find community, get diagnosed, or support their businesses, among many other things. For them, Twitter isn't just a social media platform. Many said it's a "lifeline.".
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!!!!!!!!!! My first A1 !!!!!!!!!!!!!! . (& its above the fold)!!. My brain is short circuiting because I still can’t believe my work is on the front page, but you can read the story here:
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I’m excited to finally announce my next step! I will be joining the New York Times to report on national disability issues: a dream job on a beat that carries so much personal significance. This one is for you mom & dad: thank you for everything. 💕.
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She's 8 years old, has an autoimmune disease and takes medications that suppress her immune system. She told me her favorite color was "Galaxy," which she described as "pink, purple and blue mixed together.". When she grows up, she said she wants to help kids like herself.
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After four years of dating, my mother finally gave my partner a name sign!!! . (It’s a big deal).
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First day!!!. Send me disability-related tips and story pitches: amanda.morris@washpost.com
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Dreams really do come true kids.
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Secret's out!!! 🥳🥳🥳. I'm so, so thrilled to announce that I'll be starting a dream role with the Washington Post next week, covering disability and health under a new team led by the amazing @taraparkerpope. Gratitude barely begins to describe how I feel.
.@AmandaMoMorris joins The Post as a reporter covering disability.
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MY FIRST STORY FOR THE WASHINGTON POST IS ALSO MY FIRST A1 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. 🥳🥳🥳
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As a CODA, I know firsthand how many in the deaf community feel compelled to watch any movie or show with deaf characters & almost always have mixed feelings afterward. It's a privilege to share a few thoughts from deaf & CODA people in my latest:.
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I wrote about the impact that current changes at Twitter could have on this community, which will likely be even more pronounced in an ongoing pandemic where some are still isolating in their homes, socializing mainly online: .
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Today is my first day on the @NYTNational desk! Email me with any disability-focused story tips, pitches or questions at amanda.morris@nytimes.com.
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@becca_meyers Hi Becca, My name is Amanda Morris and I'm a disability reporter with the New York Times. I'm really sorry to hear that you've withdrawn from the Paralympics & I'd love to see if I can talk to you for a potential article. Please email me at amanda.morris@nytimes.com. Thanks!.
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Many people with Long Covid have been developing POTS- a condition that causes a range of symptoms. Experts estimate number of POTS patients has at least doubled since the pandemic, but say there aren't enough specialists to treat them:.
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Many with Long Covid have been diagnosed with ME/CFS (otherwise known as chronic fatigue syndrome), where any over-exertion can cause debilitating crashes. Those who have had ME/CFS for years recommend an energy-management strategy to help reduce symptoms called “pacing.”.
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As someone with a hearing loss, I know how helpful captions can be when you can't quite catch what someone's saying. In my latest, I wrote about how captions can be a helpful accommodation for people with auditory processing issues, like Fetterman:.
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I'm seeing all these articles from hearing, non-CODA journalists titled "Here's what CODA means for the Deaf community," where journalists haven't actually spoken to a lot of people in the community and *it shows*.
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After interviewing the immunocompromised people who are and aren't quoted in this story, many told me they felt so grateful just to have someone paying attention — just to have someone listening. These are the perspectives of those who feel left behind:.
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On the evening he was diagnosed with COVID-19, 7-year-old Ethan Chandra whispered to his mother “I’m scared I’m going to die.”. Ethan is one of many medically at-risk children who are unable get vaccinated yet. My latest:.
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There’s something really lovely about seeing an article you worked on in print like this. 🥰
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Bonjour! I’m so excited to say that I’m in Paris this week to cover the Paralympics for the Washington Post! . If there’s something or someone you think I should absolutely be covering, let me know! . And, if you have any suggestions on where to eat, I’d love those tips too! 💕
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So, so incredibly thrilled to share this story today, which explores some of the changes we've seen in American Sign Language over time. I hope you'll be as fascinated reading this as I was when I reported the story:
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North American Indian Sign Language thrived for centuries & had an influence on American Sign Language. But because of genocide and forced assimilation, it is at risk of disappearing. Some folks are fighting to preserve it. Read more in my latest:.
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Wrote my first article for the New York Times today, which focuses on Morgyn Arnold, a cheerleader with Down syndrome. Her sister describes her as sassy and spunky with a big heart. But, Morgyn Arnold wasn't pictured in her cheer team's yearbook photo:
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When he offered me one final rock, I said yes.
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In 9th grade, Apurva Varia wrote to NASA asking if he could become an astronaut. The agency replied saying it could not accept deaf astronauts. Decades later, he's now participating in research with the goal of sending more disabled people to space: .
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EXCLUSIVE:. Despite having the Department of Defense call on his behalf, Rep. Jim Langevin (D-RI) was prevented from boarding his flight while on official U.S. business, all because of his wheelchair. He's not alone. Read my first story for The Post here:.
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A lot of comments complain that I used “disabled people” instead of “people with disabilities,” but identity-first language is a preference for many & disabled isn’t a bad word. I asked everyone I interviewed what they preferred to be called & they all said “disabled person.”.
It’s a small thing, I realize, but even the fact that identity-first language is in @AmandaMoMorris’s piece’s headline shows a little bit of newsroom buy in.
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It’s been so hectic lately, I didn’t have a chance to announce that last Friday was the last day of my New York Times fellowship. It was such a wild ride. I grew a lot as a reporter and met incredible people along the way. I’m so, so grateful for the entire experience.
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For years, researchers say it was difficult to study health inequities that people with disabilities experience, because the way this population was classified by the NIH limited access to funding. Now, that's changed:.
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Not sure how I feel about this. I'm 50% for, 50 percent against.
The AP Stylebook says the percentage sign is now acceptable when paired with a numeral in most cases.
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It should not be this hard to vote in America.
In Ann Arbor, the last person in line voted at 2:05 am. She waited 6 hours to cast her ballot. In @michigandaily:
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One of my favorite parts of my job so far is interviewing deaf people in American Sign Language. I've never gotten to use it *so often* for work before. Every time I do it, it's like stepping into my full self.
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Sign language names can be incredibly personal for the Deaf community. My mother gave me this name sign— it involves using the initial “A” and waving hello, because I’m very friendly. Learn about other sign names in this incredible story:
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Absolutely THRILLED to announce that I won a second place award in The National Center on Disability and Journalism's Katherine Schneider Journalism Contest for my story in the New York Times about how American Sign Language has evolved over time!!!.
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Since testing positive for Covid, Josie Cabrera Taveras has slept for up to 15 hours a day, stops in grocery store aisles to catch her breath, and has been unable to return to her job as a nanny. She's been denied disability benefits twice. My latest:
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There isn’t consensus on the best treatment or intervention for ME/CFS & Long Covid, but I chose to write about pacing because it has been recommended by patient groups, the WHO and others as a helpful rehabilitation strategy.
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I cannot believe I've been working at the Washington Post for a year now!. I'm so grateful to all my amazing colleagues at the Post who have made this my happiest job yet.
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BRB taking this reader feedback with me to my grave as I die happy. (And when I get back, I'll make the case for why hiring & supporting more disabled journalists in your newsroom is incredibly helpful and important for coverage)
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Two days ago the AP published a story I reported about residents facing rent hikes in a hurricane-ravaged North Carolina county. Today I found out that two residents featured in my story were hit with eviction notices.
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I’m really excited to see Stat News launch this disability reporting fellowship. They had consulted me about it and it was clear that they really cared & wanted to set their fellows up for success. 🙌🏻. I highly encourage folks to apply!.
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Mary Louise Kelly @NPRKelly of NPR is my new biggest inspiration. I never realized she had a hearing loss, and now that I know, I'm feeling like I really can do anything. #Deaf #HoH #CODA #DeafTalent .
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Every reporter should think about disability on their beat & people with disabilities should be in newsrooms. A crucial part of the debate for a lot of people on Twitter is that they want to be able to add alt-text if they forgot to do so originally.
Breaking News: Twitter is finally getting an edit button. After countless pleas from users, slip-ups will be correctable after tweeting. Some users will see the change on Thursday.
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If you’ve watched CODA or are about to watch it now that it has won best picture, please keep an eye out this week for an article about #CODA featuring Deaf & CODA voices, written by an actual CODA who also is hard of hearing. (Me!).
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In the words of John Troumbley, 29, of Kokomo, Indiana: . “Some signs are really close to each other, and if you don’t know what you’re doing, you’re going to cause problems.”. I wrote about the spread of incorrect sign language on TikTok:.
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I know that many in the deaf community are still processing and still grieving after yesterday's horrific shooting. I'm writing a story to honor & remember the 4 deaf victims, as well as to highlight the impact that this is having on the deaf community.
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~ 80% of students at the Atlanta School Area for the Deaf are Black or Hispanic. Hearing, white women make up school leadership. My latest looks at issues in deaf education & disability representation:.
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It's hard to articulate how much my time at The Arizona Republic and @azcentral has meant to me. I've loved covering bioscience in such a beautiful state. This Friday will be my last day. Thank you to everyone who supported me along the way. 💕.
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What’s clear is that we need more research into ME/CFS and Long Covid in order to better help people with these conditions. For now, I hope this article is informative and helpful.
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Throwback to the time a newsroom manager told me that if I couldn’t “fix” my hearing loss, I’d never make it as a reporter. (All because I asked the person to face me when they were speaking).
Just a friendly reminder that it is really awful to tell people (especially poc) that they’re not cut out to be journalists. Even if you think it’s good advice - that’s not your call to make!!.
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My last thought: I found it disappointing that Sian Heder declined to do an interview with a CODA journalist, given the subject of her movie.
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Disability often ends up being seen as a weakness or as a joke — unfortunately this cartoon portrays it as both.
Did you see Roll Call's ableist cartoon yesterday? . The daily experience of Americans with disabilities has no business being the punchline in any joke.
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Some exciting ~ personal news~: This is my last week at NPR for the foreseeable future, because I've accepted a job with the @AP covering North Carolina state politics in Raleigh for 12 weeks! While I'm sad to leave NPR, I'm so excited about this reporting opportunity!.
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Exciting news today: I started my new job as a multimedia journalist covering bioscience for @azcentral! I’m so excited to develop this beat!. If you’ve got any tips, advice, or story ideas, please send them to me at amorris@gannett.com ☺️ . #bioscience
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I'm still processing the moment Megan Alfonso told me that her mother only had 2 hours of oxygen supply left. People in Louisiana need help — especially those with disabilities and medical issues. My latest:.
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People with disabilities are pushing for more ways to go hiking independently. For many, accessibility not about having every trail paved: it's about having more information on every trail. My latest:.
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@TheoTypes @VillagerEditor1 I would also note that they are pricey — it’s a barrier that only adds to journalism’s diversity problems.
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My heart 😭❤️. I always enjoy getting emails from our readers that remind me exactly why I love journalism. Everything we do is for our readers. Also, these owls are pretty darn cute.
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Go pick up a copy of the Arizona Republic today to read my first A1 story!!! 😭🎉 Ahhh!!! So exciting! 😍
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Just got new hearing aids this morning so my brain is very, very overwhelmed today. 😬. EVERYTHING sounds different. so I'll be in the process of reprogramming my brain for the next 4 weeks. Thank goodness it's Friday.
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Officially got approved to become a member of the National Association of Science Writers today and I’m so excited to join @ScienceWriters !! ☺️.
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Sen. Duckworth recently called out a Roll Call cartoon as being "inherently ableist" & pointed out "just because you use a mobility device does not mean that you’re unfit to serve." . Seeing disabilities portrayed as a joke is disappointing & shows we still have a long way to go.
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I'm really excited and honored to share that I've been named as a member of the National Center on Disability and Journalism's advisory board. 😊.
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Unfortunately, my time in Arizona has come to an end. It feels bittersweet to say goodbye to such a beautiful place. But I’ll always carry the desert in my heart 💕
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It’s hard to evacuate disabled people in Ukraine, but it can be even harder to figure out a place for them to live— leading many to be placed in institutions. I’ve spent the last month talking to people in institutions to report this important story:.
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Becca Meyers, the deaf-blind swimmer who dropped out of the Paralympics, is not the only disabled athlete asking for better support. I spoke with several other Paralympic athletes about the need for more personal care assistants during the Games: .
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“Have you seen my son?” ~Marlin, Finding Nemo.“WHERE’S MY BOY??” ~Joyce, Stranger Things. Our couple’s costume was two single parents looking for their children 😂 Happy Halloween y’all! 🎃 #couplescostume
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Britney Spears is an exceptional case because often people under conservatorships or guardianships — many of whom are people with disabilities— don’t get released from them.
Breaking News: A judge ended Britney Spears's conservatorship, which has overseen the pop star's life and fortune since 2008.
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Sometimes, I love reading the comments so much. Hug the people you love and go hiking.
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Read the full story here:
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When’s the last time you thought about your sensory needs or how that impacts your health?. I wrote about sensory processing disorder this week and about what we can all learn about paying attention to our sensory health.
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Have reason to believe that my beloved is, in fact, alive, and may have briefly tried to evade his captors to log onto Facebook and send me an S.O.S., but he must have been thwarted in this attempt because I have not recieved any reply to my texts or any new FB messages.
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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. Pfizer 1 of 2. 💉 I am so relieved I almost cried tears of joy afterward. 🥳. Get vaccinated as soon as you’re able to so that we can end this nightmare together.
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Dearest reader, I am a bit scuffed up from a blindfolded car ride at banana-point, but happy to report I am alive and well. It turns out, Coty is the anonymous person who hired this esteemed detective, and the true crime was that I stole his heart.
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Just a little humpkin-back whale I carved 🥺🎃
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Full story to come, but here's a first look at my ongoing coverage of @JahanaHayesCT, who I will be interviewing shortly!
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One article can never recapture all the beautiful things that make someone unique & beloved, but I hope this can at least give readers a sense for who the four deaf victims were and how this is sending ripple waves of grief across the deaf community. Sending strength ❤️🤟🏻.
“We are grieving,” she signed, using two hands moving in opposite directions on her chest, as if she was twisting her heart in half. “We are at a loss for words.”. Read @AmandaMoMorris on the deaf community’s losses in Wednesday’s mass shooting in Maine:
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This is just a snippet of what I'm hearing from those on the ground or working with people with disabilities in Ukraine right now. Just a fraction of the stories I've heard of people with disabilities who are trapped & can't evacuate without assistance:.
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Check out that Sunday Edition A1!!!!!!! 🥳🥳🥳 . Honored to have shared a byline with @PostRowland on a story about over the counter hearing aids!
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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It’s me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! . Honored to have another A1 above-the-fold and to share it with @MaggieAstor !! ❤️ . Read the full story here:
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After raising this issue for years with editors (years!!!) and having SO many sources ask about this, it's really cool to see this recognition from the AP Stylebook because it means I may not need to ever fight this battle again.
New on AP Stylebook Online today: Many deaf people who use sign language have a deeply ingrained sense of culture and community built around the experience of deafness and sign language, and use the uppercase form Deaf to signify that culture. (1/4).
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THIS: Deaf people like my parents often rely on lip reading, so the prospect of needing to go to a hospital or talk to someone who has a mask on that they can't understand is terrifying. I am so touched that someone has thought of a solution to help them:.
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So many of my sources over the past few years have told me about how a lack of home and community based services is a big problem for them. I’m happy I was able to delve into the issue more in my latest story:
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1/4: IMPORTANT THREAD ON DISABILITY & PREGNANCY 👇👇👇. "At every step, by virtually every measure, modern medicine has turned its back on these women.". This excellent, eye-opening story by @sic_sonja shows the struggles of disabled, pregnant women:.
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For my latest story, I hit the trail with other disabled hikers to see some of the unique challenges they faced accessing trails. The people I hiked with took time to deeply appreciate their surroundings — and reminded me why we hike in the first place:.
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Pleased to report I’ve safely boarded my train to New York. The game is afoot.
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I love my new job because it’s almost like I get to be Bill Nye the Science Guy: explaining science in an informative, fun, and approachable way. 🧬🦠🔬. Plus sometimes I get to see cool stuff in labs and wear fabulous gloves. 💁🏻♀️ #bioscience #sciencejournalism #scienceisfun
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@rachsyme An illustrated set of antique Jane Austen books that you can buy at the Strand in NYC for $700. 😭.
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On that last sentence, I really, really hope so. Read my latest piece here or catch it on the second page of today’s paper:
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The struggle to find open caption movies in theaters is real, even when the movie features a prominent deaf actress. (Anyone else super excited about A Quiet Place Part 2?).
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Some ~professional~ news: Today is my last day as a reporting intern on @NPR's National Desk😢, working with fabulous editors like @_amita_ , @alisabarba & @LuisClemens, to name a few. But, I'm thrilled to announce that I'm staying with NPR as a temp digital engagement editor! 🙌🏼.
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I’ve been working for months on this story and I’m so proud to see it published today. I could not be more grateful to the people I interviewed with ALS, who let me into their lives and trusted me to tell their stories.
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On Nov. 9th, I'll be serving on a panel addressing Media Coverage of Disability, run by the National Center on Disability and Journalism (NCDJ) and Harvard Law School Project on Disability. Panel is from 2-3:15 p.m. ET on Zoom! ☺️ Register here:
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The so-called Arizona variant of coronavirus has the same mutation known for making the South Africa variant more resistant to virus-fighting antibodies. Read more about the new variant in my latest:
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Sometimes when I'm having imposter syndrome as a reporter, I remind myself that I once interviewed Dr. Anthony Fauci.
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@Olivianuzzi Hi Olivia, this is Amanda Morris, disability reporter with the Washington Post. I just sent you a DM requesting a response for an article I'm working on. My deadline is 3 p.m. ET today- please get back to me or email me at amanda.morris@washpost.com.
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