Will Fertman
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willfertman.com
Will Fertman
@willfertman.com
Father and author of The Deaf Baby Instruction Manual, available for pre-order now from Bloomsbury Academic: https://is.gd/0FoT5z

All opinions are my own. More opinions at:
https://willfertman.com - https://buttondown.com/will_fertman
Pinned
For hearing parents out there with #deafkids —and I can't believe I'm the first one to use that hashtag here—here's some resources that appear in my upcoming book.

Good baby books to sign, #ASL media for kids, Deaf-made apparel, helpful orgs and docs for IEPs, etc. willfertman.com/resources-fo...
resources for parents – William Fertman, author
willfertman.com
Reposted by Will Fertman
Solidarity with everyone striking today. The only way we’ve ever secured and held our rights is through collective action.
January 23, 2026 at 3:31 PM
Reposted by Will Fertman
Tomorrow’s front page of the Minnesota Star Tribune: Jan. 23, 2026
January 22, 2026 at 11:19 PM
Just got back from @jensiebelnewsom.bsky.social ‘s visit to CSD Fremont. She came to learn more about the teacher pay crisis—it’s desperate, but I’m feeling some hope for our #deafkids.
January 22, 2026 at 10:32 PM
Reposted by Will Fertman
Please help us bring Liam Adrian Cornejo Ramos (he’s only 5 years of age and is currently in pre-K. Yesterday, he and his father were kidnapped by ICE. This will help the family with legal services to help reunite Liam and his dad with their family.

gofund.me/be8a1b2ab
Donate to Help Bring 5-Year-Old Liam Home, organized by sarai Orquiz
Liam Adrian Cornejo Ramos is just 5 years old and currently in pre-K. Yesterday, he and h… sarai Orquiz needs your support for Help Bring 5-Year-Old Liam Home
gofund.me
January 22, 2026 at 2:44 AM
Reposted by Will Fertman
I can't think of a better endorsement for @buttondown.com as my email platform provider than the fact that I had a handful of picky little wishes for their analytics report, and they fixed them *the next day*. A product I'm happy to pay for, and highly recommend. buttondown.com/refer/anildash
January 21, 2026 at 10:39 PM
Reposted by Will Fertman
A wordy update! News of ICE hitting us with a retaliatory audit went kinda viral and we've received a HUGE amount of support. Not only were we extremely busy all weekend, but we also received over $1000 in unsolicited donations.
Friday afternoon, ABC News ran an interview with one of Mischief Toy Store's owners about the store's practice of giving away free whistles. Hours later, ICE agents showed up at their door.

Here's my story (gift link):
Hours after ABC News ran a story about Mischief Toy Store, ICE agents arrived at their door
“In 27 years of being retailers in St. Paul, we’ve never been audited for this,” one owner said.
www.twincities.com
January 20, 2026 at 12:36 AM
Coming to Connecticut this April to talk about reading to #deafkids and to promote my new book, The Deaf Baby Instruction Manual. If you're a parent or pro in the Hartford area, you can come see me at Language First's Early Language Center in Manchester for free: language1st.org/booking-ct
January 21, 2026 at 8:30 PM
Woohoo! Going to be on the East Coast in April!

I've got two sweet book readings for The Deaf Baby Instruction Manual lined up for the 24th in Boston and the 26th in Hartford. Maybe I can find something for the 27th in NYC?
January 21, 2026 at 6:11 AM
Reposted by Will Fertman
January 21, 2026 at 3:59 AM
"I want the album to mean to the listeners what the Beatles White Album meant to the Manson Family," —that's ambition!
January 19, 2026 at 10:33 PM
Reposted by Will Fertman
💯
January 19, 2026 at 3:41 AM
Reposted by Will Fertman
They’ve been a great partner to help me help raise money for hundreds and thousands of people in need,,, but if you don’t stand for something ya fall for anything.
January 17, 2026 at 6:01 PM
Reposted by Will Fertman
For those interested in the processes we use, take a look at this piece. Documenting war crimes in Ukraine isn't substantially different from documenting ICE activity in terms of process
reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/news/how-bel...
How Bellingcat collects, verifies and archives digital evidence of war crimes in Ukraine
Nick Waters, who documents civilian harm caused by Russia’s invasion, explains how his team ensures their findings will stand up in court.
reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk
January 18, 2026 at 8:35 PM
Reposted by Will Fertman
if you think maybe you should subscribe to my Patreon so you can read all the new American Elf comic strips, you probably should! There's almost 300 of them now...

www.patreon.com/posts/148256...
January 15, 2026 at 4:31 AM
thank you for this episode, @socialistdogmom.bsky.social
January 17, 2026 at 4:18 AM
This. I see it at all levels.
lol only time folks wanna talk to young folks is when they have the biggest stage and biggest audience.

No desire to build legacy. No desire to equip young people to counter the bullshit. No desire to build an intergenerational movement.
January 17, 2026 at 4:11 AM
Reposted by Will Fertman
Some updates on the treatment of disabled folks in ICE custody, including people being permanently disabled by agent abuse. www.disability-rights-watch.com/2026/01/16/i...
ICE and Disability 2026 - Disability Rights Watch
Authoritarianism is a disability rights issue. Immigration is a disability rights issue. And , as we've seen throughout the escalations over the past year, disabled people are particularly vulnerable ...
www.disability-rights-watch.com
January 16, 2026 at 4:01 PM
Reposted by Will Fertman
ICE came for our Fucking TOY STORE?
DHS employees entered our store this afternoon and served us a Notice of Inspection, demanding copies of I9 forms for each employee.

In 27 years as shopkeepers, we have never been subjected to this type of investigation.
January 17, 2026 at 12:36 AM
Reposted by Will Fertman
New: We built an interactive map of every ICE contractor working with the Trump administration.

readsludge.com/2026/01/16/t...
The Companies Behind ICE
Sludge built an interactive map of every ICE contractor working with the Trump administration.
readsludge.com
January 16, 2026 at 8:19 PM
Apropos of nothing... I just sent this clip to my folks.
McDonald's Newest Sandwich - The MacBeth 🍔
YouTube video by Game Changer Shorts
youtube.com
January 16, 2026 at 7:08 PM
Reposted by Will Fertman
Holy shit. What a legend.
January 15, 2026 at 6:31 PM
Reposted by Will Fertman
If this is all I had, I would NOT have gone with the story. Sources have motivation to lie/obfuscate. “Torso” is very broad. There is no supporting evidence. And there is no reason that the sources could not have been on the record.
January 15, 2026 at 12:45 AM
Scotland: I cannot emphasize enough that this is a good thing.
American fast food chain Popeyes is to open a new restaurant in Scotland this year
Popeyes announces first-ever restaurant in Scottish city this year
www.thenational.scot
January 14, 2026 at 8:31 PM
This warms the cockles of my former-foodwriter heart. I was working for culture (the cheese magazine) when Conde Nast shuttered Gourmet. They cite Coyote and Defector in their launch statement, and I'm excited to see what a co-op can do in this space.
Condé Nast forgot to renew the trademark for Gourmet and so a group of journalists grabbed it and are relaunching the food magazine as a worker-owned co-op. Love it. [gourmetmagazine.net]
Gourmet Magazine
Gourmet is a worker-owned publication about food and the people who make and consume it.
gourmetmagazine.net
January 14, 2026 at 1:09 PM
Parents of #deafkids have seen this movie before.
It targets parents, specifically. It preys on our anxieties about our children.

Where doctors and experts offer uncertainty, Big Wellness offers certainty.

More people need to be aware of how fucked up and money-hungry the industry is.

“Big Wellness” isn’t even in our lexicon. It needs to be.
January 14, 2026 at 4:54 AM