The 2010s

As CEID entered the 2010s, our programs continued to flourish in our Berkeley Center and with the expansion of Audiology services in Oakland. After decades of visionary leadership, Co-Founder and Executive Director Jill Ellis retired in 2014, having skillfully guided the organization for 34 years. Thoughtful and thorough transition planning led by CEID’s Board of Directors included a search for new leadership. Director of Programs and Operations, Cindy Dickeson was selected to be the second Executive Director in CEID history, ushering in a new era for the Center marked by expansion of programs and increased community partnerships.
 
Within the culture at-large, the 2010s saw streaming giants Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, and HBO change how we consume television and movies by putting virtually all of their content directly online. Although it took litigation, people who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing made sure they were considered in this change. In 2012, after a lawsuit by a Deaf customer, Netflix pledged to include closed captioning for all of its content. Today, Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, and HBO Max include closed captioning in all of their content.
 
The decade brought faster mobile networks, as the release of the first iPad started tablet mania and the birth of new cultural icons-- “social media influencers.” The second half of the decade saw the rise of sociopolitical movements (the Women’s March, followed by the #MeToo movement) while longtime goals, like legalization of same sex marriage in the U.S., were met. Young and diverse leaders took center stage in new movements rounding out the decade.

---