Big Ocean, the first K-pop group composed entirely of deaf or hard-of-hearing members , debuted on April 20, 2024. Members include PJ (a YouTuber who educated viewers about deaf culture), Jiseok (a professional ski racer) and Chanyeon (who worked as an audiologist and wears a hearing device with Bluetooth that streams music to him directly from mobile devices.). Big Ocean incorporates sign language into their performances, including Korean Sign Language, American Sign Langua

On this date (April 20) in 1786, John Goodricke died. Goodricke only survived to the age of 21, but the deaf astronomer made a major impact on his field. Working with Edward Pigott, Goodricke learned to measure the variation of light coming from stars. This would eventually lead astronomers to figure out the distance of galaxies from the Earth. While still a teenager, the Royal Society of London awarded him the Copley Medal, making him the youngest person to be given its high

Ursula Bellugi, the first to demonstrate that ASL is a true language, died at the age of 91, four years ago today ( April 17, 2022). Credit: Salk Institute Bellugi's research focused on how the brain processes language. She proved it is just as complex, abstract and systematic as spoken language, reports the New York Times . A leading researcher at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies  for nearly 50 years, she studied the linguistic structure and neurological basis of Am

Russell Harvard was born on this day (April 16, 1981) in Pasadena. Harvard has made his mark in both film and stage. The Austin, Texas native grew up deaf, communicating in ASL and lip-reading. Harvard’s mother was born deaf and did not learn sign until she was six years old. After playing roles in stage productions at Gallaudet University such as Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing , Harvard has had parts in CBS’ CSI: New York  with Marlee Matlin and in Deaf West Theatre’s

It was on this day (April 15) in 1817 that the American School for the Deaf, the oldest permanent public school for the deaf, opened its doors. Founded by Laurent Clerc and Thomas Gallaudet, the American School for the Deaf in Hartford, Connecticut is more than 200 years old. Read more about the school here . Meanwhile, the New York School for the Deaf also was established that day on April 15, 1817. They open its doors in 1818.

It was on this date, April 8, 1864, that President Abraham Lincoln signed the charter to establish what became Gallaudet University.

Deaf actress Lauren Ridloff was born on April 6, 1978. image from New. York Times video (see below) She first came to national attention with her role as Connie on the TV series The Walking Dead . Ridloff was crowned Miss Deaf America in 2000 and was nominated for several awards for her leading role in the Broadway play Children of a Lesser God. In 2021, she became Marvel’s first deaf superhero in the movie Eternals . She is a mother to two young children who are also deaf.

It was on this day, April 5, in 1887, when Helen Keller grasped the meaning of the word “water” as spelled out in the manual alphabet with the help of her teacher Anne Sullivan. Her blind and deaf pupil had learned to memorize words but failed to connect the words to their meanings. When Anne took Helen to an old pump house, Helen, she finally understood that everything has a name. Sullivan put Helen’s hand under the stream and began spelling “w-a-t-e-r” into her palm, first

The deaf actress is best known for the role she played on the NBC show New Amsterdam, oncologist Elizabeth Wilder. Family: She was born on March 31, 1990 in Louisville, Kentucky to William and Kim Frank. She has a brother named Jasper Frank and a sister named Anne-Marie Frank. She presently lives in Austin, Texas with her cat and boyfriend Julian, who is a videographer. She identifies as pansexual. Hearing: Sandra Mae Frank was born premature and slowly lost her hearing unti

On March 30, 1987, William Hurt presented Marlee Matlin with the Best Actress Oscar at the 59th Annual Academy Awards. Only 21 years old, Matlin became the first deaf person to win for her role in Children of a Lesser God.  She played a custodian at a school for the deaf and hard of hearing and became romantically involved with a new hearing teacher played by William Hurt. At age eight, she began taking roles in children’s theater productions for the International Center on D

On March 29, 1976, Louise Fletcher accepted an Academy Award for her role in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest." She had played the memorable role of Nurse Ratched. She made an emotional and unique acceptance speech at the Oscars that year for her best actress award. The actress decided to honor her parents, who were both deaf, by using American Sign Language. Fletcher told the audience: “I wanted to say thank you for teaching me to have a dream. You are seeing my dream come t

The ASL Storytelling Library has dozens of videos of books told in ASL. The videos are produced by The Texas School for the Deaf. Each one shares a wonderful books through ASL. Find it here .

CODA picked up awards for Best Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor on this date (March 27, 2022) one year ago today. Siân Heder's CODA script has won the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay. She adapted the script from the 2014 French film La Famille Bélier . The English-language remake centers on Emilia Jones as a teenager named Ruby. She is a CODA, the only hearing member of a Deaf family, who struggles to balance family obligations and her love of music. Heder

It was 38 years ago today (March 13, 1988) that the Deaf President Now movement succeeded. It happened when I King Jordan became the first deaf president of Gallaudet University in Washington, DC. Read the details of what happened here .

‘CODA’ Star Troy Kotsur won the best supporting trophy at the Film Independent Spirit Award on March 6, 2022. Image: Variety That makes him the first deaf actor to win the award. Kotsur plays deaf fisherman Frank Rossi in the film CODA.  In accepting the honor, Kotsur thanked the film’s producers and applauded them for their vision. He went on to thank his wife and daughter. Backstage he said: “You know how long it took me to get here? And it takes doctors a long time to get