Articulate: A Deaf Memoir of Voice – An Award-Winning Exploration of Language, Humanity, and Accessibility

Rachel Kolb was born profoundly deaf the same year the Americans with Disabilities Act was passed, making her part of the first generation of deaf people with legal rights to accessibility services. Despite this, she adapted to expectations of a hearing-centered world, learning to speak through speech therapy, lipreading, and eventually a cochlear implant, while also finding clarity in American Sign Language and written literature. Articulate blends personal narrative with cultural commentary to explore deafness, language, and voice. Kolb examines how articulate self-expression is not a fixed achievement but an ongoing process between people. The memoir chronicles her journey across Deaf and hearing worlds, considering how language expresses humanity and what mutual communication requires. Through storytelling, analysis, and humor, the book addresses American Sign Language and Deaf community, the experience of receiving a cochlear implant as an adult, the meaning of being articulate across different communication modes, and navigating identity between Deaf and hearing spaces as part of the ADA generation. Named a best book of the year by Kirkus Reviews and a Notable Book of 2025 by the Washington Post.