It has been estimated that 466 million people in the world suffer from hearing issues or deafness!
Therefore, I believe it indeed won't be surprising for you to know that some of the most talented celebrities and historical figures are also deaf.
Many of these talented personalities have achieved incredible success and have just put a mark on the entire world. They didn't let deafness hold their spirit back.
Hence, proving that even hearing disabled people can also achieve anything, as long as they are adamant in attaining it.
In this article, I'll tell you about seven inspiring and famous deaf people who dared their deafness and put a mark on the entire world.
Beethoven
You must have heard the famous song "Fur Elise!" -I bet you have!
This was composed by Ludwig van Beethoven. But did you know that this legend was profoundly deaf and one of the all-time famous deaf musicians?
However, this didn’t stop Beethoven from composing the world-renowned pieces of music of all time.
He started experiencing buzzing noises when he was just 26 and had lost entirely 60% of his hearing by the age of 31. And at the age of 46, he was completely deaf.
But deafness didn't stop Beethoven from writing music as he was an expert on how instruments worked and sounded.
Therefore, without sounds, he composed such kinds of music that created history and has been one of the most significant milestones in music history.
Thomas Edison
Thomas Alva Edison was indeed one of the most outstanding scientists and inventors of all time.
Many of his remarkable inventions have indeed improved the quality of the modern world. Edison has approximately 1,093 patents under his name. He has conducted so many experiments and researches that it would even be challenging for many to imagine.
Edison’s inventions even included the incandescent light bulb, the motion picture camera, and many more during the peak of his career.
Such a great scientist but was completely deaf in one ear and had quite a hard time hearing in the other. However, it did not stop him from becoming one of the most successful deaf inventors in history.
But did you know, he believed that his deafness was a gift and a benefit to his work, as it helped him keep conversations short of giving more time for work!
Moreover, Edison never let his hearing disability affect his work. Hence, making him one of the greatest world changers of all time!
Helen Keller
Can you even imagine a deaf activist or a blind person being an educator?
-Yes, to your surprise, Helen Keller was!
Both blind and deaf American educator Helen Keller was a leading socio-political famous activist.
Moreover, she was the first-ever deaf-blind person who earned a BA degree and became one of the world-famous speakers and an author.
She was also a disability-rights activist and campaigner for women’s social equality and rights.
Helen Keller single-handedly transformed the lives of many disabled people through her empathy and excellent activism.
Nyle DiMarco
The famous T.V actor, model, and deaf activist Nyle DiMarco was suffering from hearing disabilities himself.
But this Achilles heel didn't stop him from becoming one of the most famous personalities of all time.
Despite being deaf, he has been the winner on many popular TV shows like ‘America’s Next Top Model’ and ‘Dancing with the Stars in the US.
In 2016, he launched a non-profit organization that provides help and access to resources for deaf children and their families. And this initiative took him to the peak of popularity. Nevertheless, it has helped many hearing disabled people.
This is not where his talents end! Nyle is also an up-and-coming singer and creative collaborator on "The ASL App," where he teaches people American Sign Language (ASL).
Rikki Poynter
The current sensation of the internet world Rikki Poynter is a YouTuber, an activist, and a public speaker. She has over 89,000 subscribers on her youtube channel.
Who could have ever thought that a deaf girl would one day shake the internet world!
Rikki was diagnosed with hearing loss when she was just a child. She revealed all these through her YouTube videos and shared her personal experiences of hearing loss and being deaf.
Moreover, she even creates motivational videos about deaf awareness, disability, and mental health.
Since creating her first deafness-related video in October 2014, Poynter has already been featured on several prominent news sites: Huffington Post, BBC, and ABC News.
Recently, Poynter has been campaigning to encourage many YouTubers to make their videos more available with closed captions.
Rikki Poynter is indeed one of the biggest inspirations to many people!
Chella Man
Chella Man is one of those personalities who didn't let his weakness distort him from his dreams. He's a well-known actor, artist, model, activist, and one of many celebrities with hearing loss.
Chella started to lose his hearing when he was just 4 and was completely deaf by 13.
In March 2017, he opened a YouTube channel where he started posting videos to discuss his identity as a deaf and transgender man openly.
In 2018, he also delivered a TEDx talk where he frankly expressed his ambitions to normalize the conversations around gender issues for disabled youth.
Chella is signed to a leading modeling agency called IMG and is also known for playing the mute superhero Jericho in the DC Universe series Titans. This is a character who only uses sign language to communicate.
Marlee Matlin
I believe you must have heard her name!
Marlee Martin is a famous deaf actress, activist, and author. She is also the only deaf person who has ever won an Academy Award for being the Best Actress.
Matlin won this award in 1987 for playing her role in the film ‘Children of a Lesser God’ and has also gone on to star in numerous movies and TV shows.
She's also a very successful author and has written three books named: "Deaf Child Crossing," "Nobody's Perfect," and "Leading Ladies."
Throughout her career, Matlin has been a vocal advocate for deaf rights and is also a member of the National Association of the Deaf in the US.
Final Words
No weakness in the world can stop you from becoming one of the great if you have talent and insatiable hunger for success.
Moreover, even if you have such issues regarding your hearing, there are various solutions you can get. For instance, hearing aids can be a solution for such problems. Check out some of Nano's technologically advanced hearing aids here.
But never quit on what you are dreaming of doing. This dream of yours is far more extensive than any condition or problem in the world!
Frequently Asked Question
Q. Who was the first-ever deaf person?
Ans: A talented roman painter named "Quintus Pedius" was the first-ever deaf person in recorded history. He died at the age of 13 only.
References:
Nano Hearing Aids has strict sourcing guidelines and draws only from peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. We avoid using tertiary references. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial privacy policy.
1. Contributed by Michael H. Stevens MM, MD, Teemarie Jacobsen AuD, Alicia Kay Crofts AuD (May 2013)
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/lary.24120
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Edison
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helen_Keller
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nyle_DiMarco
5. Interviewed by Morgan Leahy, The Tab
https://thetab.com/us/2016/06/01/meet-rikki-poynter-deaf-youtuber-12278
6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chella_Man
7. Issues: Disability Rights and the Criminal Legal System Disability Rights
https://www.aclu.org/video/marlee-matlin-deaf-and-police-interaction
