As of right now, more than 5% of the world's population is reported to be Deaf or Hard of Hearing. Yet, it's uncommon to encounter workplaces, hobbies, or general settings that accommodate these approximately 450 million individuals. In the competitive sectors, media and sports, where individuals must be in the top 0.001% of the population to be recognizable, it almost seems impossible for individuals who must face additional barriers to succeed. Yet, contrary to popular belief, individuals who are part of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community defy the odds by continuously overcoming challenges that may arise. Let's take some time to acknowledge a few Deaf or Hard of Hearing actors, authors, athletes, and musicians who have utilized their Deafness to pave their career.
Helen Keller (1880-1968)
Helen Keller, who was born in Alabama, became Deaf-Blind at the age of 2. Despite others having doubts in her abilities, she began to put words together by the sensation of objects and associating them with words at a young age. More impressively, she could lip-read by simply placing her hand on the individual's mouth. Helen Keller graduated college in 1904 and began her career as both an educator and author.
Her identity deeply touched her, and as a result, she was a heavy advocate for the Deaf, Blind, and Deaf-Blind communities. Alongside working with the American Foundation for the Blind, Helen published the now renowned bibliography, The story of my life, which elaborates on her success as a Deaf-Blind woman. While Helen already had enough personal interests to advocate for, she never stopped fighting for other individuals. She was the founder of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), a union that fought for the liberty of all Americans in 1964. She also fought for women's suffrage and other political issues, and as a result, she was granted the presidential medal for freedom in 1964. Today, the ACLU, alongside Helen Keller International (HKI) continues to support disregarded communities, and her books are still internationally recognizable.
Marlee Matlin (1965-present)
Marlee, a renowned actor, became Deaf at only 18 months due to an unidentifiable illness. At a young age, she was placed in a synagogue for the Deaf and began her acting career in The International Center of Deafness and the Arts (ICODA). She started to learn ASL at five years old, but she reported that she struggled immensely at first.
She is a prominent member of the National Association for Deaf, and her most remarkable performances have been within Deaf roles. Her position as a Deaf actor has allowed her to portray them appropriately, making it critical that Deaf actors play Deaf characters for both representation and an accurate depiction. To add, her success has paved a trail for Deaf actors to succeed in the industry. As a result, she is the youngest and the first Deaf actress thus far to win an Oscar at 21 and followed it with a Golden
Globe for an incredible performance in movies like Children of a Lesser God, Child of Deaf Adults (CODA), and Sweet Nothing in My Ear. However, one of the most memorable moments was when she signed in ASL for the Oscar introduction. For an Academy Award show that receives nearly 20 million viewers every year, this moment was significant in shedding light on the Deaf community. Controversially, Marlee chose to speak for the following Oscar presentation, causing a stir within the Deaf community as many claimed it supported the negative stereotype that Deaf individuals need to speak to be successful.
Outside of her career, her success has allowed her to support children through multiple foundations, such as Children Affected by AIDS Foundation and Starlight Children's Foundation. She also supports and donates to numerous charities related to her story and journey, such as being Deaf, surviving child abuse, and being an actor.
Nyle Dimarco (1989-present)
Nyle Dimarco is an American model and actor who has been making tremendous strides for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community in the media industry. Growing up in Maryland, Nyles native language was ASl at a very young age and continues to sign on some of the largest stages today. Nyle's Fraternal twin, a Deaf DJ, alongside his other 24 Deaf family members, have developed an environment that has allowed him to take pride in being Deaf. This instilled a deeper sense of pride as a Deaf person and as a result, Nyle has become a empowering advocate for his community.
Recently, Nyle Dimarco is the winner of America's Next Top Model (Episode 16, Season 22) and is the first-ever Deaf winner. He followed his victory by winning Dancing With The Stars (Episode 11, Season 22) the year after, which required him to find unique ways to adapt to the music, making him more capable of feeling the beat, allowing him to enjoy music even more. The combination of his career and being
Deaf has allowed him to bring awareness about the Deaf community to mainstream media. This has opened a gateway for the hearing population to understand and appreciate Deaf culture, alongside being a role model for Deaf children.
Three different people, with different careers and journeys, yet they all share an essential component of their identity, being Deaf. Helen Keller once said, "Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much." The Deaf and Hard of Hearing community works to support one another to achieve the optimistic goals that one can dream of, and the community is a building block towards doing so. They also strive in spreading awareness about not only Deaf culture but also educating those within the hearing community about the barriers that still continue to exist today, in the hopes that one day the Deaf community might live in a barrier free world of equality.
Sources:
https://www.history.com/topics/womens-rights/helen-keller
https://www.ted.com/talks/nyle_dimarco_why_we_need_to_make_education_more_accessible_to_the_deaf?language=en
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