Microtia Life – Bone Anchored Hearing Aid – Print

Microtia Life
Camilla was born with a condition called microtia and atresia, which is when a person has an underdeveloped outer and middle ear, which in many cases, comes with a hearing loss. Used to being labeled as different, Camilla founded Microtia Life, LLC. Microtia Life’s mission is to empower individuals with disabilities to defeat all odds and become knowledgeable through education, advocacy, and mentorship. Her vision is to acknowledge Ableism, Audism, and Able-Bodied privilege in order to dismantle the marginalization and oppression towards the disability community. ​Camilla is a role model and an inspiration to everyone who feels like they don’t fit into the expectations of our society. She is a fighter and a wonderful advocate! In the painting you will see Camilla wearing Bone Anchored Hearing Aids (BAHA’s) and doing the ASL sign for “I Love You.”

Ms. Camilla Gilbert of Cincinnati, Ohio is a Black deaf Woman with Bilateral Microtia and Atresia. For over the last 30 years, Camilla has been an advocate and activist for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing communities and for people with disabilities. Camilla’s lived experiences with Microtia and Atresia include confusion, isolation, and pressures of societal expectations to be more “able-bodied” versus embracing her deafness. The journey has taught her resiliency, dismantling assumptions regarding people with disabilities, and genuinely being herself. ​

For most of Camilla’s life, she has denied her deaf identity due to societal expectations and focused on politically correct terms labels such as hearing impairment, hard of hearing, or hearing loss. With claiming her deafness, she is a confident woman who educates, mentors, and advocates for others who are need of a little encouragement.

Camilla is a vocal advocate for people with various disabilities. The young girl who hid her deafness from the world is a confident adult who educates and advocates for others. She is the recipient of the 2015 Oticon Focus on People Award for Advocacy. She served as a board member for the non-profit organization Ear Community, past president of the Southwest Ohio Chapter of the Hearing Loss Association of America, and a member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. She holds a Bachelor of Science Degree from Central State University (Wilberforce, Ohio) in Computer Science and Mathematics. Master of Social Work Degree from the University of Cincinnati (Cincinnati, Ohio), and Certificate in Deaf Studies from Cincinnati State Technical and Community College (Cincinnati, Ohio). ​

Camilla is currently attending Northern Kentucky University for a Doctor of Education Degree in Educational Leadership. Camilla’s research topic will be Disability Studies, and will share her lived experiences as a Black Woman with Microtia and Atresia. ​

Camilla uses two Oticon Medical’s Ponto 4s and been a customer and patient advocate with Oticon Medical for over 6 years. Camilla is the Founder and Owner of Microtia Life, LLC. Microtia Life’s mission is to empower individuals with disabilities to defeat all odds and become knowledgeable through education, advocacy, and mentorship. The vision is to acknowledge Ableism, Audism, and Able-Bodied
privilege in order to dismantle the marginalization and oppression towards the disability community. ​

Lastly, Camilla is the mother to one daughter, Jada who is the reason why she is motivated to empower others. Camilla feels you cannot be a role model to your child, if you are not willing to share your wisdom and experiences with others.

Intersectionality has been Camilla’s experience since day 1. She has used her different identities, privileges, and power to navigate through this racist, ableist, and sexist society we call the “land of the free”. Only free for those who look nothing like her, walk like her or breathe the same experiences as her. Camilla has observed others fighting to end racism and sexism but never mention ableism or audism (discrimination towards disabled and Deaf people). We have a long way to go, but Camilla is ready to empower and liberate others through the power of education, community, and love.

You can find and follow Camilla on Social Media Platforms with the handle: Microtia Life

Museum-quality posters made on thick matte paper. Add a wonderful accent to your room and office with these posters that are sure to brighten any environment.

• Paper thickness: 10.3 mil
• Paper weight: 189 g/m²
• Opacity: 94%
• ISO brightness: 104%
• Paper is sourced from Japan