New Jersey Deaf Awareness Week, Inc.

DEAFNET – Interesting Facts about the Deaf

www.alldeaf.com

 

 

• There are approximately 22 million hearing-impaired persons in the United States.

 

• Deaf people have safer driving records than hearing people nationally.

 

• The huddle formation used by football teams originated at Gallaudet University, a liberal arts college for deaf people in Washington, DC, to prevent other schools from reading their plays.

 

• The man who invented shorthand, John Gregg, was deaf.

 

• Carl Anderson, a deaf cartoonist, is the creator to “Henry.”

 

• A deaf center-fielder for the Cincinnati Reds, William Hoy, invented the hand signals for strikes and balls in baseball.

 

• Two of the Osmond brothers have hearing impairments.

 

• When Beethoven composed 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 while and mother to hear.

 

• Scuba divers often use sign language under water.  Deaf people can sign/talk at great distances without the use of amplification through the use of sign language.

 

• Statistics prove that deaf people live longer than hearing people.

 

• Deaf people develop keener senses of observation, feeling, tastes and smell to compensate for their loss of hearing.

 

• Deaf people appreciate advice or warnings regarding any noises that bother hearing people.

 

• Deaf people vote, pay taxes, drive cars, attend business, social, and religious events….