Deaf Awareness Month: Celebrating Cultural Heritage, Resilience, and Achievement

Toby Overstreet
Sep 22
6 min read

Deaf Awareness Month celebrates Deaf culture, sign language, and the achievements of Deaf Americans. It honors a Deaf identity and history that has been a vital part of America for centuries. This month highlights how Deaf people have enriched society through their innovations in education, arts, technology, and social justice, demonstrating the importance of Deaf perspectives.

For generations, the Deaf community has preserved its strong traditions, which are centered on sign language and shared life experiences. Their unique identity offers a visual way of navigating the world, and it fosters shared values, art, and community bonds that continue to grow while preserving their heritage.

Deaf Culture: A Unique Cultural Identity

Deaf Awareness Month celebrates Deaf culture as a unique identity with its own values, traditions, and a distinct way of experiencing the world. This vibrant culture, developed over centuries, is rich with art, traditions, and a shared history that reflects the unique experiences of Deaf people.

Recognizing Deaf culture means moving beyond a medical view of deafness to embrace it as a cultural and linguistic identity. This perspective highlights a vibrant community built on a shared history, stories, art, and social customs that have been passed down through generations.

Deaf culture has these key parts:

Sign Language: The heart of Deaf culture, where American Sign Language (ASL) is a complete language with its own grammar and ways to express ideas.
Visual Orientation: Seeing and understanding the world through visual experiences.
Shared Experiences: Feeling connected because of similar experiences, struggles, and triumphs in life.
Cultural Norms: Unique communication customs like eye contact during conversations, tapping someone's shoulder to get their attention, and valuing clear, straightforward communication.

Pioneering Achievements and Contributions

Education

The establishment of Deaf education institutions has been pivotal in the development of Deaf culture:

American School for the Deaf: Started in 1817 in Hartford, Connecticut, this was the first permanent school for deaf students in America. Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet and Laurent Clerc created this important school, which introduced American Sign Language and built the foundation for Deaf education in the United States.
Gallaudet University: Founded in 1864, it remains the world's only university specifically designed for Deaf and hard of hearing students, offering education in both English and ASL.
Rochester Institute of Technology/National Technical Institute for the Deaf (RIT/NTID): Started in 1968, RIT/NTID is one of the best schools for deaf and hard-of-hearing students, offering practical, job-focused programs that combine technical training with helpful support services.
The Deaf President Now (DPN) Movement: The 1988 student-led protest at Gallaudet University that successfully advocated for the appointment of the university's first Deaf president, Dr. I. King Jordan, marking a watershed moment in Deaf civil rights. Apple TV+ just released a documentary film on DPN.

Arts and Entertainment

Deaf artists, actors, and performers have made significant contributions to culture and entertainment:

National Theatre of the Deaf: Started in 1967, this was the first professional theater group of Deaf actors. They turned sign language into an art form for the stage. Their shows mix ASL and spoken English, creating beautiful visual performances. They have performed in all 50 states and 32 countries, helping share Deaf culture and art with the world.
Deaf West Theatre: Founded in 1991, this company has produced critically acclaimed productions, including a Tony-nominated Broadway revival of "Spring Awakening" that integrated ASL with spoken English.
Marlee Matlin: The first Deaf Actress to win an Academy Award for her role in "Children of a Lesser God" (1986), breaking barriers for Deaf actors in Hollywood. She was starred in “CODA’ and also had a documentary, “Marlee Matlin: Niot Alone Anymore.”
Troy Kostur: The first Deaf Actor, but second Deaf person to win an Academy Award for his role in “CODA.”

Other notable Deaf and Hard of Hearing actors can be found here.

Technology

The Deaf community has pioneered technologies that benefit everyone by creatively addressing communication barriers. Their visual perspective has influenced universal design principles.

Key technological innovations from the Deaf community include:

Video Relay Services (VRS): This technology changed how Deaf people communicate by allowing video calls with sign language interpreters. These interpreters help Deaf and hearing people talk to each other.
Video Remote Interpreting (VRI): A video service that connects people with sign language interpreters when there's no interpreter available in person. This makes communication possible in many different places.
Visual Alert Systems: Systems that change sounds (like doorbells, fire alarms, and baby monitors) into things you can see (like flashing lights) or feel (like vibrations). This makes homes and workplaces safer and easier to use for everyone.
Caption Technology: Caption Technology: Real-time captioning systems show spoken words as text, making schools, movies, and public events more accessible for deaf people. New technologies like speech recognition are constantly making captions better.

Social Justice

The Deaf community has been at the forefront of advocacy for accessibility and equal rights:

National Association for the Deaf (NAD): Founded in 1880, it's the oldest civil rights organization in the United States, advocating for the rights of Deaf and hard of hearing individuals through legislation, litigation, and public awareness campaigns.
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA): Passed in 1990, this landmark civil rights law prohibits discrimination based on disability. The Deaf community played a crucial role in advocating for this legislation, which mandates reasonable accommodations including sign language interpreters in many settings. You can read our blog about ADA here.
Telecommunications Accessibility: Advocacy led to the passage of the Television Decoder Circuitry Act of 1990, requiring televisions to have built-in caption decoders, and later to the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act, expanding digital media accessibility.
Recognition of Sign Language: Efforts to gain official recognition of American Sign Language (ASL) as a legitimate language have been successful in many states, supporting bilingual education and interpreter certification programs.

Breaking Barriers and Changing Perspectives

The Deaf community has pushed back against societal misconceptions about what deaf people can do. Their advocacy work has secured significant rights, including the Americans with Disabilities Act, sign language interpreters, and school supports that help deaf people succeed.

Instead of focusing on "hearing loss," they talk about "Deaf gain" – seeing deafness as a different way of experiencing the world, not a problem to fix. This view has helped change how we think about all kinds of human differences and the value of diverse perspectives.

A Legacy of Resilience

Over time, Deaf people have faced many challenges. In the past, they were not allowed to use sign language and were forced to speak and read lips. But the Deaf community stayed strong. They preserved their language, built schools and organizations, and created spaces where being Deaf is valued, not viewed as a problem.

Deaf Awareness Month continues this important work today. The movement works for official recognition of sign languages, protection of Deaf culture, and equal rights. It also celebrates the unique perspectives and abilities that come from Deaf experiences.

Moving Forward Together

Deaf Awareness Month shows us how the Deaf community makes life better for everyone. Their visual ways of communicating, their fight for accessibility, and their cultural richness have made our world more inclusive.

The Deaf community has overcome many challenges, found creative solutions to problems, and shown the strength of cultural identity. Their story reminds us that including different kinds of people makes our society stronger. Being proud of who you are is both a right and helps everyone.

How Can You Support Deaf Awareness Month?

There are many organizations that support the Deaf community. Below are just a few examples. You can learn more about the organizations’ advocacy through their publications, programs, conferences, and events that help expand awareness of deaf culture:

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Deaf Awareness Month celebrates not just what Deaf people have done in the past, but what they continue to do today. Their unique way of seeing the world, their strength, and their dedication to cultural pride and accessibility make life better for all of us.