List of deaf people

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an incomplete list of notable deaf people.

[edit] Important historical figures in deaf history and culture

The idea that a person who was deaf could achieve a notable or distinguished status was not common until the latter half of the 18th century, when Abbé Charles-Michel de l'Épée founded the world's first public school for deaf students in Paris. The Abbe de l'Epee was one of the first advocates for using sign language in deaf education, as a means to raise deaf people to literacy and to provide an avenue to an independent lifestyle. Prior to de l'Épée, only the deaf children of royal, aristocratic or wealthy families were afforded any type of education.

Épée originally favored using a fabricated sign system, similar to Signed Exact English, based on French grammar and sound. The local Deaf communities insisted on maintaining their own Paris sign language, and on his deathbed de l'Épée wrote his final work decrying all constructed systems and finally endorsing the use of the natural signed languages made by Deaf people.

The success of the Paris school spawned similar schools throughout Europe and the New World. Significant in American history, deaf Frenchman Laurent Clerc, both a student and teacher at the Paris school (1798-1816), and Rev. Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet, a hearing American, founded the first school for the deaf in Hartford, Connecticut in 1816. Clerc, along with Paris school faculty members Jean Massieu and Ferdinand Berthier formed the core of a group of pioneering deaf intellectuals. They are joined by many people on this list who, like them, were born deaf, used a sign language as their mother language, and were notable for their leadership and accomplishments.

• Ferdinand Berthier, French intellectual, first deaf person to receive the French Legion of Honor. Founder of world's first deaf organization.
• Julia Brace (1807-1884), early American deafblind student at the Hartford Asylum for the Deaf and Dumb.
• John Brewster Jr. (1766-1854), American, itinerant artist of the Federalist Period in America.
• Laura Bridgman, (1829-1889), American, first deafblind student of Dr. Samuel Howe at the Perkins School for the Blind.
• Laurent Clerc (1785-1869), French-American, co-founder of first school for the deaf in America. First deaf teacher of the deaf in America.
• Pierre Desloges (1742-??), French deaf writer and bookbinder. First known deaf person to publish a book.
• William Elsworth "Dummy" Hoy (1862-1961), American baseball player.
• Helen Keller, American deafblind writer and lecturer.
• Juliette Gordon Low, founder of the Girl Scouts of America
• Granville Redmond, American painter.
• Douglas Tilden, American sculptor.

[edit] Notable Children of Deaf Adults (CODA)

• Lon Chaney, Sr., American actor raised by deaf parents, his upbringing allowed him to better communicate in silent film
• Louise Fletcher, American, Academy Award, Best Actress for One Flew Over the Cukoo's Nest.
• Richard Griffiths, English actor.
• Stefan LeFors, American football quarterback who is the only hearing member of a deaf family.

[edit] Notable Deaf people who are active in the Deaf community

• Jack Ashley, British member of the House of Lords, campaigner for the rights of deaf people
• Linda Bove, American actress best known for her role as Linda the Librarian on Sesame Street, founding member of the National Theater of the Deaf.
• Deanne Bray, American actress who starred in the TV series Sue Thomas: F.B. Eye.
• Phyllis Frelich, American actress, Tony Award winner for Children of a Lesser God.
• Tyrone Giordano, American, actor in films such as A Lot Like Love and The Family Stone. Also on Broadway in Big River.
• I. King Jordan, first Deaf President of Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C.
• Troy Kotsur, American actor
• Gary Malkowski, Canadian politician
• Clive Mason, British television presenter of See Hear.
• Marlee Matlin, American, Best Actress Academy Award winner for Children of a Lesser God.
• Emma Nicholson, British member of the House of Lords.
• Curtis Pride, African-American who became the first deaf baseball player to play a full major-league season in the modern era. He and his wife, Lisa, are actively involved in the Together with Pride foundation, which offers support to deaf children and their families.
• Judith Scott, American outsider artist
• Terrylene, American actress
• Clayton Valli, beloved American Deaf Poet from Rochester, New York.
• Heather Whitestone McCallum, became the first deaf woman to win the title of Miss America.
• Carol Padden, writer, and associate professor, UCSD
• Tessa Padden, presenter and Deaf activist.

[edit] Notable people with a hearing loss

• Guillaume Amontons, French inventor and physicist.
• Robert Grant Aitken (1864–1951) American astronomer who systematically studied double stars
• Cliff Bastin, British Soccer player
• Halle Berry, American actress, first African-American winner of Academy Award for Best Actress
• Luis Buñuel, Spanish surrealist filmmaker and poet.
• Vint Cerf, American "father of the internet"
• Stephen Colbert, American comedian
• John Warcup Cornforth, Nobel Prize winner
• Gertrude Ederle, American competitive swimmer, first woman to swim the English Channel.
• Thomas Edison, American inventor.
• Lou Ferrigno, American bodybuilder and actor who starred in the TV series The Incredible Hulk.
• Walter Geikie, Scottish painter.
• Francisco Goya, Spanish painter
• Oliver Heaviside, British engineer, mathematician and physicist.
• John Howard, Australian Prime Minister.
• Ryan Ketchner, American baseball player
• Rush Limbaugh, American radio host and political commentator.
• Harold MacGrath, American author.
• George Martin, British music producer, produced the Beatles.
• Sir William McMahon Australian politician and former Prime Minister.
• Curtis Pride, American baseball player
• Pierre de Ronsard, French poet.
• Joe Swail, Northern Irish snooker player.
• Eric Sykes, British comedy writer and actor.
• Sue Thomas, American author and motivational speaker who became the first deaf person to work for the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The TV series Sue Thomas: F.B. Eye, in which deaf actress Deanne Bray played the title role, was loosely based on Thomas' real-life experiences.
• Judith Wright, Australian poet.
• Miha Zupan, Slovenian basketball player

[edit] Musicians with a hearing loss

• Ludwig van Beethoven, German composer.
• Rudi Carrell, Dutch popular singer.
• Phil Collins of progressive rock group Genesis; also successful solo artist.
• Gabriel Fauré, French composer.
• Evelyn Glennie, Scottish virtuoso percussionist.
• Ted Nugent, American rock musician.
• Johnnie Ray, American popular singer.
• Bedřich Smetana, Czech composer.
• Pete Townshend, British lead guitarist and songwriter with The Who.
• Brian Wilson, American singer and musician with The Beach Boys.
• Elliott Yamin, American Idol contestant