Interesting facts about Deaf/Hearing Impaired People
Did you know?
- There are approximately 22 million deaf and hard of hearing persons in the U.S.
- Deaf people have safer driving records than hearing people nationally.
- The huddle information used by football teams originated at Gallaudet College, a liberal arts college for deaf people in Washington, D.C., to prevent other schools from reading their sign language.
- The man who invented shorthand, John Gregg, was deaf.
- Carl Anderson, a deaf cartoonist, is the creator of "Henry".
- A deaf center-fielder for the Cincinnati Reds, William Hoy, invented hand signals for strike and balls in baseball.
- Phyllis Frelich won the Tony Award for Best Actress for 1980 in the Broadway play "Children of a Lesser God". Ms Frelich is profoundly deaf.
- Two of the Osmond brothers and Nanette Fabray all are hard of hearing
- When Beethoven created his ninth symphony, he was profoundly deaf.
- Alexander Graham Bell, inventor of the telephone, was originally an instructor for deaf children and invented the telephone to help his deaf wife and mother to hear.
- Scuba divers often use sign-language under water.
- Deaf and hard of hearing people can sign/talk at great distances without the use of amplification through the use of sigh language.
- Deaf people have created a language known as American Sign Language which has been linguistically defined as a separate language such as English, French and German.
- Statistics prove that deaf people live longer than hearing people.
- Some positions held by present-day deaf and hard of hearing persons are: lawyers, dentists, doctors, chemists, inventors, artists, sculptors, writers, architects, poets, newspaper editors, clergy, actors, teachers, etc.
- Deaf people develop keener senses of observation, feeling, taste and smell to compensate for their loss of hearing.
- Deaf and hard of hearing people appreciate advice or warnings regarding any noises that bother hearing people.
- Deaf and hard of hearing people vote, pay taxes, drive cars, attend business, social and religious meetings…
What is Total Communication?
Total communication is the use of sign language and voice together, plus any other means of communication available.
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