Cheyenna Clearbrook Flink

Confident Deaf influencer and advocate

Cheyenna is a Deaf influencer and young mom. Born Deaf to a Deaf family, she was raised in Washington State and moved to British Columbia, Canada a few years ago. She has been a social media influencer since 15 years old, first starting on that journey with a friend on YouTube. Their mission was to spread awareness of Deaf culture and have the world see their lifestyle through their eyes. She was part of the enriching Netflix Deaf U series and this led her to eagerly create videos of Deaf culture and showcase her lifestyle as a Deaf person.

What are some common misconceptions you've encountered as a Deaf influencer, and how do you address them through your content?

Often, misconceptions about the Deaf community are varied, including questioning their ability to hear and their speaking skills. I don't speak or hear but it doesn't mean others who are Deaf cannot hear or can choose or not choose to speak. Also, I have encountered comments that are considered audism, saying they thought Deaf people can't read or need to use braille, which is not true. Deaf people can read and write, they don't need to use braille because this is for people with vision loss. Deaf people do not have vision loss they have hearing loss. I simply address these with a firm explanation.

Some stereotypes hearing people have of the Deaf community are, "Deaf people should learn how to speak, they should get a cochlear implant or a hearing aid." They suggest how to fix us but those will not. As Deaf people, we have our language, culture, and everything. We do lots in our community. We are thriving and are simply fine!

What are some of the destinations you've visited so far, and what made them special for you?