Deaf model and activist Nyle DiMarco advocates integration of the American Sign Language with films for deaf community!
A deaf person can watch movies but will be unable to understand them. It could be hard for the aurally handicapped person. Nyle DiMarco, 29 is an American actor and model who is a deaf activist.
He was the first deaf winner of the Next Top Model contest. He is trying to integrate American Sign Language with the films to make it easier for deaf people to understand the movies.
Nyle DiMarco and his steps for the deaf community
Nyle DiMarco feels that many people in the deaf community are unable to understand and enjoy movies. They can see but cannot hear what the stars are saying. Subtitles also do not help since they have not learned to connect letters with sound.
To help such people, especially deaf children, Nyle is trying to integrate American Sign Language with the films. He has partnered with Lionsgate and Actiview to make this a reality. He feels that it will help the 466 million people out there who have some amount of hearing loss and deafness.
‘Wonder’ is the first American film to have the integration of ASL in it. Actiview has come out with an app that can help those who are hard of hearing and deaf. It could be used to boost the sound and also get a proper understanding of the ongoing movie on the screen.
Nyle feels that as a deaf child, he had missed out on the American cultural experience of films such as The Lion King which he could not watch when he was a child and had to wait for a long time before he could. He does not want the deaf children of today to miss out on all the fun that comes with watching a movie.
Nyle DiMarco talks about the misconceptions about deaf people
Nyle stated that the first misconception that people have about the deaf community is that they cannot drive. He also wants people to know that deaf people have their own culture and sign language. He feels that inclusion is important since they form a large and diverse group of disabled classes.
Nyle wants deaf people to be included in the conversation both in front and behind the camera. He is now writing his TV show and wishes that it is picked up for production and telecast.
Nyle DiMarco and his recent experience with United Airlines
Nyle is only deaf but can walk. At the LA airport, when he got off a United Airlines flight, the staff offered him a wheelchair. The chair had his name and the United Airlines logo on it. He put up a video of the chair and also told Daily Mail:
“How hearing people associate deafness with an inability to walk astounds me.”
He added:
“When it happened the first few times I felt frustrated because the airlines have acknowledged and apologized, but it is clear that they’ve never pushed for change, nor have they trained their employees.”
Nyle runs the Nyle DiMarco Foundation and it aims to make the world a better place to live for deaf people and their families.
Short Bio on Nyle DiMarco
Nyle DiMarco is an American model, actor, and deaf activist. He was the second male winner and the first deaf winner of The CW’s ‘America’s Next Top Model Cycle 22’ in 2015. Additionally, he also won season 22 of the ABC televised dance competition ‘Dancing with the Stars. More Bio…
Source: cheddar, Daily Mail
