DEAF FACTS:

280 million people worldwide have moderate to profound hearing loss in both ears.

34 million Americans have a significant hearing loss; of these almost six million are profoundly deaf.

American Sign Language is the third most widely used language in the United States.

Annually, 3,500 people are born very profoundly deaf.

Statistics prove that deaf people live longer than hearing people.

Deaf people have safer driving records than hearing people nationally.

The estimated number of formal signs are millions.

Gallaudet University is the first liberal arts college for the deaf.

National Technical Institute for the Deaf is the first technical college for the deaf.

California State University, Northridge and Rochester Institute of Technology boast the largest nationwide enrollment of students who are deaf and hard of hearing at a mainstream institution.

The National Association of the Deaf near Washington, D.C., was founded in 1880 to protect the rights of the deaf.

There is a life insurance agency, the National Fraternal Society of the Deaf, headquartered in Oak Park, Ill.

The huddle formation used by football teams originated at Gallaudet University to prevent other schools from reading their sign language.

Thomas Edison, a deaf inventor, filed over a thousand patents for various inventions.

When Beethoven composed his ninth symphony, he was profoundly deaf.

Juliette Low, founder of the Girl Scouts of America, was deaf.

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

Presidents Ford and Carter used the “I love you” sign in the 1976 presidential campaign.

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

Curtis Pride played for many different teams in MLB.

Bonnie Sloan and Kenny Walker played in NFL.

Shawn Dale Barnett became the only profoundly deaf man to have a top ten hit on MTV in 1987. He was also the inventor and creator of “DEAF MUSIC”.

Marlee Matlin became the youngest and first deaf recipient of the best actress Oscar.

Matt Hamill, professional UFC fighter, is profoundly deaf.

Christopher Bryson, a deaf teen, became a star on a MTV show called True Life: I’m Deaf.

The snake, the turtle, the housefly, and the starfish are all deaf.

Cobras can’t hear the snake charmers.

Superbus surdus is “deaf pride” in Latin.

Sign language can also be used as a “secret code.”

Scuba divers often use sign language under water.

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

Deaf people can sign/talk at great distances without the use of amplification through the use of sign language.

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

Being deaf does not affect intelligence.

Deaf people do not feel that they are disabled in any way.

Deaf people are very aggressive when playing sports against hearing people due to discrimination.

Deaf people fought for the right to “just be.”

Deaf people can do anything except hear.

- IF YOU WANT MORE FACTS, WRITE THEM ON THE COMMENT.