About Lane

 

I used to think my life's work was about disability.

 

Then I realized it was about something much bigger.

More than twenty-five years ago, my oldest son, Conner, was diagnosed with Usher syndrome, the leading genetic cause of deafblindness. Like so many parents, I entered a world I knew nothing about—a world filled with unfamiliar diagnoses, complicated systems, difficult decisions, and profound uncertainty.

 

At first, I was simply trying to find my footing.

 

But somewhere along the way, my questions began to change.

 

I wanted to understand not only how to support my son, but why some families felt heard while others felt invisible. Why some systems helped people flourish while others left them feeling unseen. Why a single conversation could transform the way people understood one another.

 

Those questions led me in directions I never could have imagined. They inspired me to help found Hear See Hope and Lane of Inquiry, pursue a Ph.D. in Special Education, conduct research alongside families and educators, contribute to public policy conversations, teach at the university level, and spend years working to improve outcomes for children with disabilities and their families.

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Each experience taught me something new.

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Not just about disability.

 

About humanity.

 

Over time, I came to realize that the challenges we face—whether in education, healthcare, leadership, or our personal lives—often have something in common. We move through the world carrying assumptions about one another long before we know each other's stories.

I've learned that meaningful change rarely begins with certainty. It begins with curiosity.

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It begins with listening.

 

It begins with asking better questions.

 

Today, my work brings together everything I've learned as a mother, researcher, special educator, writer, and speaker. Through books, articles, speaking engagements, research, and consulting, I explore how storytelling can help us bridge divides, build more human-centered systems, and create communities where every person is seen, valued, and belongs.

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My forthcoming book, Beyond the Divide: The Stories That Bring Us Together, reflects the evolution of that journey. While my work began in disability, it has grown into a broader exploration of what connects us across differences—and what becomes possible when we choose curiosity over assumption.

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If you've found your way here, I hope you'll discover stories that challenge your thinking, invite reflection, and perhaps help you see the world just a little differently than you did yesterday.

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I'm grateful you're here.