Can Do Careers for
Deaf People
“Deaf people can do anything, except hear.”
I. King Jordan
President
Gallaudet University
Fall 2005
Transition Services Preparation & Training
Introduction
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Deaf people are often told they are unable to do
certain careers.
This PowerPoint presentation will counter this
idea by giving examples of a number of careers
that Deaf people are currently employed in.
It will include links to programs for these
careers as well as real-life stories about people
who have succeeded.
Fall 2005
Transition Services Preparation & Training
Lawyers
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DeafLawyers.org – A resource for deaf/hard-of-hearing attorneys
and law students
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Fall 2005
New About Us: includes articles written about deaf/ hard-of-hearing
lawyers
Resources: gives information about different communication systems
deaf/hard-of-hearing law students and attorneys have used throughout law
school and their professional career
Articles by Us: a list of books, articles, reports, etc. written by deaf/hard-ofhearing attorneys and law students
Other Links: links to websites about individual deaf lawyers
Transition Services Preparation & Training
Lawyers
Deafga.org – A community for deaf and hard of hearing
attorneys and law students. You must be a member to
access most of the information on this website, but this
would be a great resource for students once they enter law
school. One of the main features is the forums held
through this website.
Fall 2005
Transition Services Preparation & Training
Lawyers
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Teri L. Mosier is a Deaf lawyer who
was also an At-Large Delegate for
Vice President, Al Gore. She is not
the first national deaf delegate for
the U.S., although she is the first
democratic delegate for Kentucky.
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There are also many other deaf
lawyers who are making their name
in the news. Below are a few:
 John Stanton
 Claudia Gordon
 Carla Mathers
 Kelby Brick
Bonnie Tucker, wrote a book, “The
Feel of Silence” about her
experience of growing-up deaf and
then becoming a lawyer.
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Fall 2005
Transition Services Preparation & Training
Doctors, Veterinarians,
Dentists, Nurses, etc.
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Association of Medical Professionals with Hearing Losses
(AMPHL)
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Fall 2005
A non-profit organization formed in 2000 to “provide information
promote advocacy and mentorship, and create a network for individuals
with hearing loss interested in or working in health care fields”.
Lists academic/professional guidelines for specific careers including
schools that currently or in the past had deaf individuals graduate
through their program
Resources include: a list of books and articles written about deaf
individuals in the health care fields, forums; chat rooms; and other
websites.
Information about stethoscopes that have been modified for deaf/hardof-hearing individuals
Transition Services Preparation & Training
Doctors and Other Medical
Professionals
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There are many articles that relate to doctors
and other medical professionals who are
Deaf. Here are just a few:
 6 Deaf doctors (4 physicians, 1
veterinarian, and 1 dentist) who all live in
Rochester, NY, grew up deaf, and know
sign language. They share some of their
everyday experiences about being in the
medical profession.
 Another more detailed article, about one
of the above doctors, Angela Earhart,
who uses a sign language interpreter.
Fall 2005
Transition Services Preparation & Training
Doctors and Other Medical
Professionals
The book, “When the
Phone Rings, My Bed
Shakes: Memoirs of a Deaf
Doctor” written by Philip
Zazove, explains his life
growing up deaf and the
struggles he faced on his
path to becoming a doctor.
Fall 2005
Transition Services Preparation & Training
Scientists
In the present and past there have been a number of
scientists who are deaf. Gallaudet University has a website
that includes information about deaf scientists in history
as well as current professors of science or people within
the field of science. A list of a few of these follow.
Fall 2005
Transition Services Preparation & Training
Scientists
Dr. Harry Lang, has been a professor
at NTID for 30 years and teaches
physics and mathematics. He has
written two books that deal with deaf
people in the field of science. The
first book, “Silence of the Spheres:
The Deaf Experience in the History
of Science”, explains the
contributions that deaf men and
women have made to science. The
second book, “Deaf Persons in the
Arts and Sciences: A Biographical
Dictionary” has ‘150 biographies of
deaf scientists, artists, engineers,
actors, writers, poets, and other
professionals’.
Fall 2005
Transition Services Preparation & Training
Scientists
Christian Vogler is a
research scientist at the
Gallaudet Research
Institute. He is currently
working on using
computers to recognize
ASL by wearing a
Cyberglove to track hand
movements and using
video to track facial
expressions.
Fall 2005
Transition Services Preparation & Training
Miss America
Heather Whitestone was the first deaf person to be
crowned Miss America in 1995. She has promoted
awareness of Deaf/hard-of-hearing issues all around the
country. She has written books including “Listening With
My Heart” and “Believing the Promise” which both share
her life-changing wisdom. One of her biggest
achievements has been her five-point STARS program
which was made to show others how to achieve “Success
Through Action and Realization of your dreamS”. The
five points in this system are: a positive attitude, a goal, a
willingness to work hard, a realistic look at your problem,
and a support team. She has served the community in
many ways and been honored with many achievements and
awards. In 2002, she was appointed as a member of the
board for the Advisory Council for the National Institute
of Health on Deafness and Other and Other
Communication Disorder.
Fall 2005
Transition Services Preparation & Training
Pilots
The Summer in the Skies program is put on by the Indiana School for the
Deaf (ISD). During this 4-week long summer class, students get to fly
between 4-6 hours with a certified instructor as well as do flight
simulations. They do such activities as “read and navigate with a compass,
plot courses, and read navigational charts and maps for cross-country
flights. They obtain and interpret weather briefings, plot courses, and
calculate wind correction angles, time en route, and amount of fuel needed
for cross-country flights. They also learn how to navigate with satellites
and GPS technology.” They also build paper airplanes and hold
competitions, write reports about famous pilots, write a daily journal about
their experience, and take field trips to museums as well as airshows.
Fall 2005
Transition Services Preparation & Training
Astronauts
U.S. Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama and the Western
Pennsylvania School for the Deaf (WPSD) have joined
forces to provide a Space Camp experience for Deaf and
Hard of hearing children from all over the world. In this
5-day program, students train much as how real pilots
would for a mission into space. They do activities such as
“simulated Space Shuttle missions, IMAX® movies,
training simulators, rocket building and launches, scientific
experiments, and lectures on the past, present, and future
of space exploration.
Fall 2005
Transition Services Preparation & Training
Priests/Ministers
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There are only 7 or 8 deaf Catholic priests in the United
States.
Father Thomas Coughlin was the first deaf priest ordained
in the United States. In the past, he has traveled 11
months of the year around the United States and abroad.
He ministers to deaf people by using American Sign
Language (ASL). One of his main goals is to expand the
ministry to deaf people within the Catholic Church. In
1979, he met privately with Pope John Paul II. He is
currently a pastor of San Francisco’s St. Benedict Parish at
St. Francis Xavier Church, which is known for its deaf
congregation.
In the San Francisco area, there are three deaf seminarians
studying at St. Patrick’s Seminary in Menlo Park as well as
two other deaf priests within the state of California.
Some other deaf priests are Father Michael Depcik and
Father Joseph Mulcrone.
There are a number of other deaf ministers throughout
the United States.
Fall 2005
Transition Services Preparation & Training
Firefighters and Emergency
Medical Technicians (EMTs)
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EMT’s have different techniques to communicate more efficiently at the work
place such as:
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EMT’s have found other ways when checking a patient
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memorizing the sequence of radio procedures, then giving reports when partner
gives the signal
Partners can repeat medical orders or questions that come up by radio, and they
can lip read sometimes via the rearview mirror then confirms the orders verbally
over the radio
Using a electronic stethoscope instead of listening for breathing sounds in chest
Feeling for heart palpitations
Firefighters have found alternatives ways to receive information and
communicate in the firehouse and during a fire
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Fall 2005
Instead of yelling to get attention or to watch out for a specific area, Fire Chief
will pull the hose to get everyone attention
Use of a pager for a fire alarm and to show where the fire is at.
Transition Services Preparation & Training
Firefighters and Emergency
Medical Technicians (EMTs)
The book, “Silent Alarm:
On the Edge with a Deaf
EMT” is written by Steven
Schrader who was a
firefighter and EMT for 15
years. This books
describes his success and
the obstacles he faced
being deaf in this
profession.
Fall 2005
Transition Services Preparation & Training
FBI Agents
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Sue Thomas lost her hearing at the age
of 18 months and grew up learned to
speak and lip read at Youngstown
Hearing and Speech Center. She
received a degree in political science
from Springfield College and starting
working for the FBI after graduation.
Thomas used her lip reading abilities to
decipher conversations in videotape for
which there was no sound. In 1990,
she wrote an autobiography, “Silent
Night” which tells about her experience
working in the FBI. From her book
came the television series “Sue Thomas:
F.B Eye” discussing stories from the
book and showing experiences from
her life.
Fall 2005
Transition Services Preparation & Training
Actors/Actresses
Michelle Banks became deaf at the age of one
and attended Kendall Demonstration Elementary
School and then the Model Secondary School for
the Deaf. She went on to college at Gallaudet
University and then transferred to the State
University of New York (SUNY) at Purchase
where she entered the school of drama. In 1990,
she founded the Onyx Theatre, the first deaf
theatre company in the U.S. for people of color.
She made her break when she got cast as a deaf
character on the Showtime television programs,
Soul Food. She has also been seen on TV in
Strong Medicine and the UPN series Girlfriends.
She has been in two movies, Malcolm X and
Compensation, a silent film in which she starred.
She has been in a number of plays including Big
River. She has did her own traveling one-woman
show, Reflections of a Black Deaf Woman.
Fall 2005
Transition Services Preparation & Training
Actors/Actresses
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Linda Bove was born deaf on
November 30, 1945. She is most
well known for her character on
Sesame Street as Linda. She was a
founding member of the National
Theatre of the Deaf in 1963. She
played Sarah Norman a number of
times in the famous play Children of
a Lesser God. She also once made an
appearance on the TV show Happy
Days.
Fall 2005
Transition Services Preparation & Training
Actors/Actresses
Deanne Bray grew up in California and became
deaf at the age of 3. She was a teacher for deaf
high school students and did some acting on the
side. She has been in a number of plays with
Deaf West Theatre, made guest appearances in
TV shows such as CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,
Ellen, and Diagnosis Murder, and appeared in some
independent films and TV movies. In 2002, she
became the lead actress in Sue Thomas: F. B.
Eye. She plays the part of the real Sue Thomas,
the FBI’s first female special investigative
assistant who was deaf.
Fall 2005
Transition Services Preparation & Training
Actors/Actresses
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Amy Ecklund became deaf at the age of 6 and
became interested in acting when she was
young. She is able to speak and read lips and
also knows American Sign Language. She has
appeared in a number of different theatre
productions. She played the role of Abigail
Blume starting in 1995. She has received
honors due to her role in Guiding Light,
including in 1998 a Daytime Emmy Nomination
for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a
Daytime Series. In 1999, she had a cochlear
implant as did her character on the soap opera.
Fall 2005
Transition Services Preparation & Training
Actors/Actresses
Lou Ferrigno lost his hearing at the age of 3
due to an ear infection. He started training for
bodybuilding at the age of 13 and won major
bodybuilding titles, including Mr. America and
Mr. Universe, when he was in his early 20’s.
He later became a professional football player
for the Toronto Argonauts. He has appeared
in a number of movies and TV programs and
played the “Hulk” in the television show “The
Incredible Hulk.” Currently, Ferrigno works
on bodybuilding education.
Fall 2005
Transition Services Preparation & Training
Actors/Actresses
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Phyllis Frelich was born in Devil's
Lake, North Dakota. She was a Tony
Award-winning Actress. She was
raised in a deaf family. She really
loves performing on stages and front
of cameras for audiences
everywhere. She graduated from
Gallaudet in 1967, and has won
many awards for drama. She
participated with the National
Theatre of the Deaf. Her most
popular movie performance is from
a movie called "Bridge to Silence."
Fall 2005
Transition Services Preparation & Training
Actors/Actresses
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C.J Jones was born hearing to deaf parents, but
became deaf at the age of 7 from spinal meningitis.
In 1972, he graduated from the National Technical
Institute for the Deaf, but started working in
theater and film afterwards. Jones worked with the
National Theater of the Deaf (which won him a
Tony award), and appeared on shows such as
Sesame Street, A Different World, and in Living
Color. He created his own comedy routine “The
Living Cartoon”, and hosted a video series for deaf
children called “Happy Hands Kids Club”. Finally,
Jones has directed and appeared in a stage
production of “Children of a Lesser God” and
appeared in different programs that aired on the
old Silent Network Deaf cable.
Fall 2005
Transition Services Preparation & Training
Actors/Actresses
Marlee Matlin is one of the
most famous deaf actresses
in the United States. She
became well known for her
role in “Children of a Lesser
God”, in 1986, and received
both a Golden Globe and
Academy Award both for
Best Actress in this movie.
This was then turned into a
play which she also starred
in. She has also been in a
number of movies and TV
shows since.
Fall 2005
Transition Services Preparation & Training
Actors/Actresses
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Anthony Natale first decided that he
wanted to act during high school and
has followed his dream ever since.
Natale is mainly known for his role as
the deaf son in Mr. Holland’s Opus as
well as the man in the elevator signing
“You complete me” in Jerry Maguire.
He has performed in other movies such
as Sorority Boys and City of Angels as
well as televisions appearances in 7th
Heaven, Any Day Now, Once and
Again, and Pacific Blues. He is currently
teaching small ASL classes.
Fall 2005
Transition Services Preparation & Training
Actors/Actresses
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Howie Seago was born deaf and grew up and
learned ASL during college at California State
University from other deaf friends. He began
producing and acting in plays around the world,
touring with the National Theater of the Deaf
and staring in many of their productions. One
of his most exciting television rolls was an
appearance as "Riva" in Star Trek; The Next
Generation, Episode; Loud as a Whisper. A few
of the other television shows he has performed
in includes "The Equalizer," "Hunter," and
“Rainbow's End.” He is also very well known
for his performance in the foreign film
“Beyond Silence”. Currently Howie teaches
ASL and is the director of a special deaf youth
drama program at Seattle Children's Theatre.
Howie and his brother have created a series of
entertaining video stories for children called
Visual Tales.
Fall 2005
Transition Services Preparation & Training
Actors/Actresses
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Shoshannah Stern started her acting
career in her high school plays at
California School for the Deaf. She
attended Gallaudet University, and
while still attending classes she got
the role in WB’s “Off Centre”.
Shoshannah has appeared on Threat
Matrix on ABC, had a well-publicized
guest shot on ER, Boston Public and
Providence. Shoshannah is 4th
generation deaf in her family.
Fall 2005
Transition Services Preparation & Training
Actors/Actresses
Terrylene's resume includes television
and stage, but she has also acted in
feature films such as Oliver Stone's
"Natural Born Killers." Before her
starring role in the play "Sweet Nothing
in My Ear," she was best known for her
role on television's Beauty and the Beast.
She was one of the deaf actors on an
episode of "Pacific Blue." Terrylene also
starred in the film "AfterImage“ playing
a psychic deaf woman. She has made her
own appearance on the cover of Deaf
Life (July 1992). Terrylene is also perhaps
the most famous graduate of the Model
Secondary School for the Deaf, and was
invited back in 1998 to be their
graduation speaker. Transition Services Preparation & Training
Fall 2005
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Comedian
Kathy Buckley was thought to be retarded when she
entered 2nd grade and was moved to a separate school.
It took almost a year for professionals to figure out that
her severe hearing loss was actually the reason for her
speech and language delay. She is known as “America’s
First Hearing-Impaired Comedienne.” In 1988, she
entered a comedy contest “Stand-Up Comics Take a
Stand,” where she competed against comics who had
been in the business for years. She easily won fourth
place and then began touring the country doing
comedy shows. She wrote an autobiographical theatre
play, “Don’t Buck With Me!” as well an
autobiographical book entitled If I Could Hear What I
See. She works with camps and other organizations
where she can work with children because she believes
that all children should grow-up with good role models.
She has been on a number of entertainment and news
shows on television as well as a few movies on TV.
Fall 2005
Transition Services Preparation & Training
Comedian
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Professor Glick has created a
comedy routine called
DEAFology which pokes fun of
different situations in hearing and
deaf culture. This show is
appropriate for both the deaf and
hearing and is a great way to make
people aware of Deaf culture in a
fun way. He travels all around the
country performing his routine
with the saying “The place where
sound stops and the fun begins”.
Fall 2005
Transition Services Preparation & Training
Juggler/Unicyclist
Pinky Aiello was born deaf and has grown up
loving the theater. While working at the
National Theater of the Deaf Professional
Summer School, a director from Ohio hired in
“The Double Pierrot” with the Fairmount
Theatre of the Deaf in Cleveland. For this
particular role, she was required to learn how
to juggle and use a unicycle. This soon turned
into a passion, and she began performing on
the streets of Cleveland for fun. Aiello is a
member of the International Jugglers
Association and is currently performing at
Universal Studios Hollywood and Six Flags
Magic Mountain. She also perform with "Girls
On Stilts" and "The Juggling Fools". She
works at private parties, carnivals and
other events given by hearing people, but now
branching out to perform at Deaf Festival,
Schools, clubs, camps where I also give
workshops on juggling, unicycle riding and stilt
walking.
Transition Services Preparation & Training
Fall 2005
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Stunt Person
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Kitty O'Neil, the world's fastest woman, was
born in Corpus Christi, Texas. She was a
stuntwoman and racer who became deaf
when she was four years old. She got her
credentials in teaching at the University of
Texas. She studied the methods of teaching
deaf children, and is a founder of "School
Listening Eyes" in Witchita Falls. She taught
deaf children using oral methods. She won
many diving championship awards and craves
new challenges, such as dangerous sports.
She rode a speed boat at the velocity of
285.23 miles per hour, and has been on water
skis at 104.85 miles per hour in 1970. She has
driven in many vehicle races. She also did
stunts for the movie called "Bionic Woman"
and "Wonder Woman". She was listed in the
Guinness Book of World Records, because
she traveled at a speed of 512.710 miles per
hour. She did many different stunts.
Fall 2005
Transition Services Preparation & Training
Body Building
Shelly Beattie was born in Santa Ana Orange
County, California. She is a champion
bodybuilder who is best known as one of the
"American Gladiators". She became deaf at
three years old. Because of difficulty adjusting
to her deafness, she was placed in a foster home
when she was 14 and 17 years old. She loves to
compete in sports and body building. She
studied Child Psychology in Oregon for a
while. She holds the 1988 and 1989 National
and World record for fastest time with co-ed
handcar team, and also hold high school track
heptathlon records. She is also the world bench
press record holder at 315 pounds. She won
several bodybuilder competitions .
Fall 2005
Transition Services Preparation & Training
Athletes
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Dummy Hoy was born hearing became profoundly
deaf at the age of 2 from spinal meningitis. He
started playing as an amateur baseball player in his
hometown of Findlay, Ohio and was quickly
recruited to play for Oshkosh, Wisconsin. His skills
in the field were unbelievable, especially in center
field, but his batting average was very low. This
was because he was forced to turn around and lip
read the umpire to see the call after each pitch and
pitchers soon learned to quick pitch him. Hoy
asked his 3rd base coach to signal the call to him
and his batting average skyrocketed! Umpires soon
saw this as beneficial for everyone to see the call
and the sign for strike was created. In 1951, Hoy
was unanimously voted the first player to be
enshrined in the American Athletic Association of
the Deaf ’s Hall of Fame. The AAAD (now called
the USA Deaf Sports Federation) began lobbying
to get Hoy inducted into the National Baseball Hall
of Fame.
Fall 2005
Transition Services Preparation & Training
Athletes
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Curtis Pride was born deaf from rubella and
played many sports while growing up. Pride
began his career as a part-time New York Mets
minor leaguer, and moved on to stints with the
Montreal Expos (minors and majors), the
Detroit Tigers (majors), the Boston Red Sox
(minors/briefly in the majors), the Atlanta
Braves (majors), the Kansas City Royals, the
Salt Lake Stingers (minors), and the Nashua
Pride (minors). In 2005, he is playing with the
New York Yankees. While not playing baseball,
Pride and his wife participate in the “Together
with Pride” organization which works with
children who are deaf or hard or hearing.
Fall 2005
Transition Services Preparation & Training
Athletes
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Jim Kyte was born deaf and grew up playing
hockey, drafted into the National Hockey
League (NHL) in 1982. Starting with
Pittsburgh, Kyte has played for many teams
such as Winnipeg, Ottowa, Vancouver, and
San Jose. He was the first legal deaf player in
the NHL, as well as the only person to ever
wear hearing aids during the game. He wore a
special helmet with flaps over the ears to
protect the hearing aids during games or
practice. Kyte ran his own summer hockey
school for deaf and hearing-impaired kids in
Toronto. He eventually opened the Jim Kyte
Hockey School for the Hearing Impaired in
Ottawa, a business which he continued to
run after his retirement.
Fall 2005
Transition Services Preparation & Training
Athletes
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Kimberly Brand is a 16 year old gymnastics who competes on
the state level for her high school. She specializes in the floor
exercise, overcoming the challenge of synchronizing her routine
to the music that accompanies it. Lights set up in the gymnasium
signal her when the music has started and she has all the moves
counted out in her head. The year before, Brand won four gold
medals and a bronze in her first appearance at the Grand Canyon
State Games
Amy Walker is a 17 year old gymnastic who is ranked as one of
the best 15 gymnasts in the country. Amy is deaf and has vision
from one eye. During her floor exercises, her teammates stand
around the floor helping her keep to the beat by stomping.
Fall 2005
Transition Services Preparation & Training
Athletes
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Eugene Hairston was born in New York City and became deaf
at the age of 2 from spinal meningitis. At the age of 15 he
started boxing and soon started fighting again amateurs.
During his workouts, his trainers used "body English and
speech," giving instructions between rounds with gestures,
adding well-formed words that Hairston could lipread. It
wasn’t long before his management team decided he was ready
to enter the amateur boxing world. In 1947, he won two
important Golden Gloves championships: one in New York
and one in Chicago. After 61 amateur bouts, Hairston had a
record of 60 wins and only one loss! His handlers decided he
was ready to turn professional. He won his first 16 fights (with
four knockouts), and people began to take notice. He got
national exposure when his fights were televised 13 times.
Being deaf, Hairston was unable to hear the time-keeper’s bell
at the end of each round. The New York Boxing Commission
installed flashing red lights on each of Madison Square
Garden’s four ring posts so he would know when the round
was over. The lights also helped hearing boxers when noisy
crowds drowned out the bell. Other arenas soon picked up on
the idea. Eugene "Silent" Hairston was one of the most
talented deaf prizefighters in ring annals, the first to be deaf
and black.
Fall 2005
Transition Services Preparation & Training
Athletes
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Terrence Parkins was born deaf in
South Africa and will be competed
in the 2000 Summer Olympics in
Sydney for swimming. "I am going
to the Olympics to represent South
Africa, but it's so vitally important
for me to go, to show that the deaf
can do anything," Parkin says. "They
can't hear, they can see everything. I
would like to show the world that
there's opportunities for the deaf."
Parkins won the silver in the 200 m
breaststroke
Fall 2005
Transition Services Preparation & Training
Athletes
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Kenny Walker became deaf at the age of
two from meningitis, had a short, but
interesting football career. First he was an
All-American player on the University of
Nebraska Cornhuskers, then was drafted
by the Denver Broncos. After he retired
from football, Walker became a football
coach at the Iowa School for the Deaf.
He wrote his autobiography titled Roar of
Silence: The Kenny Walker Story and he is
featured in Deaf Life Press Book Great
Deaf Americans.
Fall 2005
Transition Services Preparation & Training
Lifeguard
LeRoy Colombo was born deaf and
paralyzed with both legs from spinal
meningitis. Because of a lot of work
with his parents, he regained use of both
of his legs and discovered a love for
swimming. LeRoy saved his first life at
the age of 12 by rescuing a drowning
boy. He eventually became the first deaf
lifeguard as well as the "World's Greatest
Lifeguard," being credited with saving
over 900 lives in a career that spanned
40 years. During that time, LeRoy put
his own life in jeopardy and almost
drowned 16 times. He was forced to
retire in 1962 from a heart condition,
but still continued to swim a mile a day
up until the day he died in 1974. He was
so respected that after his death parts of
Texas lowered the flag to half-staff and
had a moment of silence, even
dedicating a plaque on the beach that he
patrolled.
Transition Services Preparation & Training
Fall 2005
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Musicians
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Evelyn Glennie was the first full time solo
percussionist in the world. She has recorded
18 albums/cds and won two Grammy
Awards and received two further
nominations. In a live performance Evelyn
can use up to approximately 60 instruments.
At the age of 5, Evelyn won a National
Primary School Art competition, then at age
19 Evelyn graduated from the Royal
Academy of Music. In 1991 Evelyn's
autobiography 'Good Vibrations' was
published and reprinted in 1995. She has
appeared on 'Sesame Street' '60 Minutes',
'The Jim Lehrer News Hour' and 'The Late
Show with David Letterman' among many
others. Evelyn gives around 110 concerts
per year.
Fall 2005
Transition Services Preparation & Training
Artists
Louis Frisino was born deaf and grew up with
a love for art, attending the Maryland School
for the Deaf in Frederick, Maryland. After
graduation, he attended the Maryland Institute
College of Art. From there, he went on to
work as a commercial artist at the News
American, but made his reputation in the deaf
community as a creative artist. Frisino
specializes in realistic nature subjects, such as
fish, dogs, and ducks, creating many lifelike
paintings of different species. Additional
Frisino accomplishments include: inclusion of
his drawings in a book of decoys, use of his
artwork for Christmas cards by the National
Wildlife Federation (1976 & 1977). Frisino can
also be found in the book Who’s Who in
Waterfowl Art by Ray Chapman. He has also
won the acclaimed Peabody Award.
Fall 2005
Transition Services Preparation & Training
Artists
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Morris Broderson was born deaf and learned to
express himself in sign language. When he was
fourteen he attracted the attention of his aunt
with a pencil sketch he did of her. She
recognized his exceptional talent and encouraged
him to further his studies in art. He studied at the
University of Southern California and Jepson Art
Institute to increase his skills. In 1960 he showed
some of his pieces in a art museum in San
Francisco and the response was so good that he
started traveling to showcase his work. After
staying in Japan for a short time, the Asian
influences of The ballet, poetry, flowers and joys
of childhood became a huge part of his
paintings.
Fall 2005
Transition Services Preparation & Training
Artists

Douglas Tilden was born hearing, but
lost his hearing to scarlet fever at the age
of five. Tilden attended the California
School for the Deaf (CSD), and after
graduation he worked at CSD. While
working there, he began sculpting. Then
he moved to France for awhile, and met
a deaf sculptor there who taught him
more about sculpting. Some of his best
known sculptures are located in San
Francisco, such as Admission Day,
California Volunteers, The Baseball
Player, and Mechanics Monument.
Tilden was vice president of the World
Federation of the Deaf, and president of
the California Association of the Deaf
Fall 2005
Transition Services Preparation & Training
Artists

Granville Redmond was stricken with scarlet
fever at the age of three, from which he lost his
hearing. Redmond attended the Berkeley School
for the Deaf from 1879-1890, where he was
encouraged in his artistic interests. Following
graduation, Redmond attended the San Francisco
School of Design, from which he was awarded a
scholarship for further study in Paris. Following
his return to the U.S., Redmond lived in Los
Angeles and the Bay Area, until work in
Hollywood prompted him to settle permanently
in Los Angeles. Redmond used his sign language
skills in bit parts in silent movies, and during this
time befriended Charlie Chaplin. In fact, he had a
studio on the Chaplin lot, and appeared in a
number of his films. Today Redmond is
nationally known for his Impressionist landscapes
featuring the California wildflowers, as well as his
coastal, and Tonal moonlit scenes.
Fall 2005
Transition Services Preparation & Training
Authors

Henry Kisor was not born deaf but
lost his hearing around the age of 2 ½.
He is the current book editor at the
Chicago Sun Times and other novels
such as What’s That Pig Outdoors: a
Memoir of Deafness, Zephyr: Tracking a
Dream Across America, and Flight of the
Gin Fizz: Midlife at 4,500 Feet. For
phone interviews and other
promotions that he must do for his
books and his job, Kisor conducts
them through faxes which takes a long
time, but gets the job done.
Fall 2005
Transition Services Preparation & Training
Storytellers

Trix Bruce has been profoundly deaf since
she was 6 months old. She has been involved
in the performing arts since 1980. After
completing her college program, she became
involved with interpreter training, becoming
an approved sponsor for the Registry of
Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) Certificate
Maintenance Program. Trix's main area of
study has been ASL Linguistics with a focus
on ASL Performance. In her performance
now, she has become an actress, a poet, a
storyteller, and a one deaf woman show. Her
work has been warmly received in local
community centers, national RID chapters,
Deaf Way II, interpreter conventions and
more. Wildly popular as a teacher of ASL
storytelling and ASL interpretation, Trix
impresses audiences at all levels of ASL skill,
from beginning to fluent signers.
Fall 2005
Transition Services Preparation & Training
Poets

Laura Searing covered the Civil War
and wrote for "Reform Nation".
She was a well-known journalist for
America. In her writing, she used
the surname "Howard Clyndon",
because of the same reasons as
Harriet Martineau. Laura became
deaf at the age of 11. She strongly
supported the Union, and was a
ardent Republican. She wrote about
many different subjects, including
President Abraham Lincoln.
Fall 2005
Transition Services Preparation & Training
Founders of Companies/Businesses

Matthew Moore was born deaf and
attended Indiana School for the Deaf,
graduating as valedictorian of his class. He
attended Rochester Institute of
Technology for college and worked as a
Personnel Clerk for Dept. of U.S. Army
after graduation. Afterwards he worked at
a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor,
until 1983 when he became President of
MSM Productions. In 1994 he received
the Gallaudet University Alumni
Association’s Alice Cogswell Award “for
valuable service on behalf of the Deaf
Community.
Fall 2005
Transition Services Preparation & Training
Founders of Companies/Businesses

I. King Jordan was born hearing but became
profoundly deaf at the age of 21 from a car
accident. Dr. Jordan earned a B.A. in
psychology from Gallaudet in 1970. The
following year he earned an M.A., and in 1973
a Ph.D., both in psychology and both from
the University of Tennessee. Upon receiving
his doctorate, Dr. Jordan joined the faculty of
Gallaudet's Department of Psychology. In
1983 he became chair of the department;
three years later he was appointed dean of the
College of Arts and Sciences. In 1988, during
the Deaf President Now Movement at
Gallaudet University, I. King Jordan became
the first deaf president.
Fall 2005
Transition Services Preparation & Training
Founders of Companies/Businesses

Vinton Cerf first gained recognition for his
contributions to the development of what came to
be known as the internet. He is routinely referred
to as "the father of the internet," having helped to
found the Arpanet in the early 1970s, a forerunner
of today's internet. As part of that development,
he co-designed the TCP/IP protocol for internet
communication. His frustration with
communication with other researchers reportedly
was one of the motivations for his work to
develop internet communications protocols. He
has also chaired the Internet Corporation for
Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), held
high-level positions at MCI Worldcom, where he is
a senior vice president responsible for internet
technology, and received an award from President
Clinton for his role in developing the internet.
Fall 2005
Transition Services Preparation & Training