Famous Deaf People
The first Deaf person to win an Academy Award.
Who is Marlee Matlin?
The only liberal arts University for the Deaf in the world: it is located in Washington D.C.
What is Gallaudet University?
In ASL, this part of your body helps show punctuation, tone, and meaning—especially when asking questions or showing surprise.
What are our faces?
The classroom seating design/arrangement that is ideal for Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing students.
What are either circle seating, c-shaped seating or half-circle seating?
This is the organization that advocates for and supports Deaf people.
What is National Association of the Deaf (NAD)?
The first Deaf professional baseball player. Gallaudet's baseball field is named after this athlete.
Who is William "Dummy" Hoy?
This event took place in 1988 at Gallaudet University because the students wanted a Deaf president.
What is DPN (Deaf President Now)?
ASL was born from this sign language.
What is French Sign Language (LSF)?
This educational philosophy recognizes American Sign Language as a full language and uses it alongside written and spoken English to support Deaf students’ language development, content learning, and cultural identity.
What is bilingual ASL-English Deaf Education?
The current technology Deaf people use as their "telephone" to communicate with a non-signing person on the other end.
What are Video Phones (VPs) / Video Relay Services (VRS)?
(We do not use TTYs anymore, smiling!)
This Black Deaf actor appeared in the blockbuster Baby Driver and has advocated for authentic Deaf representation in Hollywood. He also helped develop the Na'vi sign language used in Avatar: The Way of Water.
Who is CJ Jones?
In 1816, these two educators (one Deaf, one hearing) traveled from Europe to the United States and later co-founded the first permanent school for the Deaf in North America.
Who are Clerc and Gallaudet?
This approach to language learning surrounds students with a signing environment where ASL is used consistently and naturally in everyday interactions—supporting language development through real exposure, not translation. (HINT: YOU all are going through this experience this week!)
What is language immersion, or ASL immersion?
List at least two ideal ways to get a Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing student's attention.
What are either to: lightly tap their shoulder, flash the lights, subtly wave in front of them, stomp on floor, or use an intermediary?
The percentage of Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing children who have hearing parents.
What is approximately 10%?
This Black Deaf performer went viral for his high-energy ASL rendition of “America the Beautiful” during the 2021 Super Bowl and coined the term “Dip Hop” (hip hop through Deaf eyes).
Who is Warren "Wawa" Snipe?
This Black Deaf man became the first Deaf African American to graduate from Gallaudet and went on to establish more than 30 schools for the Deaf across Africa.
Who is Dr. Andrew C. Foster?
In ASL, these special handshapes are used to show movement, size, shape, and location of objects or people—like showing a car driving up a hill or a person walking.
What are CLASSIFIERS?
A school environment for Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing students that is rich in language and that does not inhibit cultural growth.
What is a language-rich environment (least restrictive environment is acceptable)?
The organization run by and includes Deaf people in live theater.
What is National Theater for the Deaf (NTD)?
This Black Deaf actress, an MSSD alumni who went on to be a teacher, then rose to national fame for her role in The Walking Dead and became Marvel’s first Deaf superhero in Eternals. She was also Deaf Miss America in 2000.
Who is Lauren Ridloff?
Before becoming Gallaudet University’s first Deaf Latino president, this trailblazing leader served as Vice President of Pre-College Programs, overseeing the Clerc Center. He also held national roles, including Assistant Secretary in the U.S. Department of Education.
Who is Dr. Robert DaVila?
These ASL features include facial expressions, head movements, and body shifts. They are essential for showing grammar and emotion, not just "extra" expressions.
What are "Non-Manual Signals" (or Non-Manual Markers)?
Developed by the National Programs and Outreach at Clerc Center, these interactive tools are designed to assess and foster a language-rich environment for deaf and hard of hearing students.
What are the LAAWS (Language Abilities and Approaches Wheels)?
This term refers to the harmful lack of early language exposure many Deaf children experience, especially in environments where sign language is not used. It can lead to long-term delays in cognitive, social, and academic development. Research shows that as many as 70% of Deaf children are impacted by this.
What is Language Deprivation?