"I want equality not only for myself but also for thousands of other specially-abled children who are not even able to raise their voices" - Nishtha Dudeja is an Indian model and the winner of the Miss Deaf Asia 2018 title

Achievers

"Just as India promotes and preserves our ancient Sanskrit language ... under the Indian Constitution, there is a need to incorporate ... Indian Sign Language (ISL) into the list of scheduled languages" - Vaibhav Kothari, a deaf and mute entrepreneur and founder of OMVAI

Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing People Who Changed the World

It can take hardship to notice inequalities in the world.

Many deaf and hard-of-hearing people are acutely aware of this. Experiencing discrimination and access challenges makes this clear to them. And caring about their rights, and the rights of others who face similar challenges, has motivated many deaf and hard-of-hearing people to fight for change.

Throughout history, people have done this in many different ways. Some explore activism or politics, others create art, and still others invent new ways of communicating. And many achieve great feats without a thought for their deafness or lack of hearing – It is not a meaningful part of the conversation for them. But the creativity and resilience of deaf and hard-of-hearing people is limitless. 


Hellen Keller: Helen Keller was a remarkable American educator, disability activist and author. She is the most famous DeafBlind person in history.


Kitty O’Neil: Known as ‘the fastest woman in the world’, Kitty O’Neil was an American stuntwoman and speed racer, most famous in the 1970s.


Haben Girma: Haben Girma is an accomplished disability rights lawyer and the first DeafBlind person to graduate from Harvard Law School.


Chella Man: One of the most exciting young voices in the deaf and hard-of-hearing community today is 21-year-old Chella Man. A talented visual artist, actor, influencer and activist in both the deaf and LGBTQ+ communities, Chella Man has a strong internet presence and advocates regularly for deaf and disability rights.


Vint Cerf: Vint Cerf is known as one of the ‘fathers of the internet’. He is a mathematician and inventor who co-invented TCP/IP protocol with Robert E. Kahn in 1974, which paved the way for the invention of the internet we use today.


Derrick Coleman: Derrick Coleman is the first legally deaf offensive player in America’s National Football League (NFL).


Claudia L. Gordon: Claudia L. Gordon is an attorney and disability advocate. She is the first Deaf Black female attorney in the United States.


Casar Jacobson: Casar Jacobson is a Norwegian-Canadian diversity and Deaf activist and scientist. She was the first Deaf person in North America to earn a national pageant title.


Tamika Catchings: Basketball superstar Tamika Catchings had a stellar 15-year career from 2002 to 2016. She is a multiple award winner, including four Olympic Gold medals. She is also famous for recording the first ever quintuple-double (25 points, 18 rebounds, 11 assists, 10 steals and 10 blocks) in 1997.


Thomas Edison: Known by many as America’s greatest inventor, Thomas Edison spent much of his life with little to no hearing. Edison is famous for engineering world-changing devices including the light bulb, the phonograph (the first device to record and play back sound), and the microphone used in telephones.


Laurent Clerc: Louis Laurent Marie Clerc was a key figure in the development of American Sign Language and deaf education. He is considered the first ‘deaf teacher of the deaf’ in the United States and is sometimes known as ‘The Apostle of the Deaf in America’. With Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet, he co-founded the first school for the deaf in North America.


Francisco Goya: Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes – better known as Fransisco Goya – was a Spanish romantic artist in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.


Hermon and Heroda Berhane: Lifestyle bloggers and influencers Herman and Heroda Berhane are deaf identical twins.


Clayton Valli: Deaf linguist and American Sign Language (ASL) poet Clayton Valli was the first person to identify ASL poetry as a literary genre. He also created unique and beautiful poetry with sign language.


Further reading:

Achievers in India

(in lexicographic order of first name)

Abhinaya is an Indian actress and model who mainly works in Tamil and Telugu films. She is both hearing and speech impaired. She made her acting debut in Naadodigal (2009) and then she has appeared in many Tamil and Telugu films.

The success of Naadodigal and critical acclaim for Abhinaya's performance led director Samuthirakani to cast her in the Telugu remake Shambo Shiva Shambo, while she was signed to play the same role in its Kannada remake Hudugaru as well. She won two Filmfare Awards for her performances in Naadodigal and Shambo Shiva Shambo the following year. She was cast in an important role in Easan (2010) directed by Sasikumar. In 2011, A. R. Murugadoss signed her to play a supporting role alongside Suriya in the film 7aam Arivu.

Year 2015 also saw her making her Bollywood debut in R. Balki's Shamitabh in a short role.

Among her upcoming films are Vizhithiru, in which she is playing a radio jockey, and Mela Thalam.

Gurugram resident Amita Dutta is an artist whose unique talent has been appreciated by art critics all over, Amita uses coffee as a medium for her paintings. She is a creator and force behind the label ARA, Art of Radiant Arabica, Arabica is a popular type of coffee.

Amita suffers from bilateral (in both ears) sensorineural hearing loss from birth, she studied up to class 9 but was unable to continue her schooling as the school could not provide a special educator for her and feared that she would fail and tarnish the passing record of the school.

Amita found help in Ms. Deep Dutta (Now her mother in law) who helped her finish her education by studying on her own through National Institute of Open Schooling and also encouraged her to join a 3 year course in Interior designing.

Amita stands tall today due to the support of Ms. Deep Dutta, her Mother in law who understood her plight as her son is also Hearing Impaired.

Both the ladies deserve praise for their progressive attitude.

Arwa, dedication and determination make her much bigger than a 16-year-old (in 2018). Arwa Imtiyaz Bhat from Srinagar has become the voice of Deaf badminton players under the J & K Sports Association for the Deaf.

Arwa’s father, Imtiyaz Ahmad Bhat is an autorickshaw driver and earns just about enough to maintain his family of five. Arwa’s mother Rehana is deaf and mute and so is her mother’s brother Mohammad Saleem, both her mother and her maternal uncle are excellent badminton players.

Arwa has seen them struggle, face communication challenges and lack of acceptance. Arwa decided to help everyone with Hearing and Speech Impairment. She learnt sign language from her uncle and took on the daunting role of an interpreter for the Deaf Badminton players.

Though her father can just about take care of the family with his meagre income, Arwa does not charge anyone nor does she expects to be paid, her satisfaction comes from seeing the joy on the faces of her players.

Arwa not only takes on the role of an interpreter but also takes the responsibility of being a guardian whenever the team travels for tournaments. Parents of other players trust her and are convinced that their children will be safe.

Her happiness at her team winning 4 Gold medals, 3 Silver medals and 2 Bronze medals at the National Games for the Deaf at Ranchi more than makes up for the lack of monetary compensation.

Arwa Imtiyaz Bhat’s determination to give a voice to the ambitions and aspirations of the Hearing and Speech-impaired sportsmen over her own ambitions is a great sacrifice. Arwa wants to become a Doctor, due to her father’s limited income and her irregular school attendance, her ambition will remain a distant dream. This saddens her but does not take away her dedication to promote the Speech and Hearing Impaired sportspersons of her state, after all Heroes are made of a different material.

Star shuttler and national level coach Mr. Gaurav Ahluwalia is an alum of AIDDS

Working with the United Shuttlers badminton academy and having played for the Ghaziabad Badminton club this talented player has made a mark for himself at the international stage and wishes to do more and more. He has fought through adversity throughout his career from tournaments missing his entry to encountering visa issues to enter the tournaments he has strived to succeed. 

India has produced some of the world’s best shuttlers and away from the spotlight players that we usually follows lies some of our most talented badminton players. India’s speech and hearing impaired badminton star Gaurav Ahluwalia is a prime example of that. 

The Story of a Silent Shuttler: Gaurav Ahluwalia, 2020

Malika Handa is a deaf Indian professional chess player and the first Indian woman to win a gold medal in the International Deaf Chess Championship and many 6 Medalist in World & Asian championship. Since the year 2012, she has won the National Chess Champions of the Deaf 7th times. Malika is National awardee (Best sportsperson). This championship is organized by the All India Sports Council of the Deaf.

Malika was born in Jalandhar, Punjab, to Suresh and Renu Handa. She was not born deaf but lost her hearing and speech when she was one year old. Now, she lives with a 90 per cent hearing disability. She was introduced to chess in 2010 by her father when he brought home a chessboard. She was still a student in school. Malika quickly developed an interest in this game. Her chess expertise helped her secure a seat in a mainstream college. 

Malika began to play chess when she was 15 years. She developed a passion for the game and she soon began to outplay her peers. She has won the national deaf chess championship six times. She has faced a lot of problems in her professional life and the biggest problem of all was the lack of aid from government. 

International medals

National medals

Mani Ram has fought for 15 years to get into the IAS. In 2005 when he cleared the UPSC exams for the 1st time, they turned him away saying he is completely deaf, and they only take partially deaf candidates. 

But the man did not lose heart, he got a cochlear implant done and cleared the exam again. But this time they told him his hearing was too good for the disability category. But Maniram did not give up, after a few technical clarifications, he has finally made it to the IAS. 

Niraj Mehta, a musician born in Ahmedabad, was born without external ears and was deaf at birth. Growing up, Niraj — grappling with 75% hearing loss — used people’s lip movements as visual cues to construct meaning. He could hear only extremely loud voices. While he inherited his father Suresh Mehta’s passion for listening to music and would hum songs, Niraj took up music formally only in 2016. “I would sing while strumming the guitar but could not achieve harmony between my playing and singing,” he said.

The life-changing moment for Niraj came in February 2019 when he underwent a bone conduction surgery — in which an implant is used to fire up the cochlea by conducting sound waves through skull bones. Finally, he could hear. “Until I underwent the surgery, I could not hear my own voice. Now, I can play the guitar as well as sing,” said Niraj, whose condition is called microtia, a congenital defect because of which external ears are underdeveloped.

In July 2019, Niraj performed at ‘Beats of Cochlea’, an international festival for musicians with hearing implants. He was India’s first representative at the event that was held in Warsaw, Poland.

At school, some classmates mocked his deformity. “I used to feel low but later realized that people will show respect if you are successful. If you are passionate about your pursuits, success always comes to you,” he said. Niraj graduated in international business from Brunel University of London in 2019 and is currently Marketing Director at Amster Microcell. “But perhaps music will shape my career,” he mused.

Sources:

Nishtha Dudeja state of Delhi at the AIDACS Miss and Mister Deaf India pageant in which she won. Dudeja is the first representative from India to win any title at Miss and Mister Deaf World pageant since its inception 18 years ago. Dudeja did internship at UNESCO in Delhi after her graduation where she handled social media and other assignments to publicize the activities undertaken by UNESCO. This stint taught her how to deal with the challenges faced by the disabled persons at the work place. She was later invited by UNESCO, Delhi as a guest of honor at the celebration of International Day of Persons with Disabilities. 

Dudeja has been an international tennis player having represented India three times at International Games. She participated in Deaflympics – 2013 (Sofia, Bulgaria), World Deaf Tennis Championship – 2015 (Nottingham, UK) and Deaflympics – 2017 (Samsun, Turkey). 

Rohit Bhaker was born profoundly deaf and he has the inability to speak. 

He is from Bhiwani and is currently residing in Bhiwani for badminton practices and works in DHBVN. In 1997 for his achievement in his debut Deaflympics event (1997), he was awarded the National Child Award for Exceptional Achievement (Bal Shakti Puraskar). 

He also received Arjuna Award for his efforts in the sport of badminton.

Rohit made his Deaflympic debut in the 1997 Summer Deaflympics at the age of just twelve and was a member of the Indian badminton team which won the gold medal in the mixed team event, which also featured Rajeev Bagga. This achievement made him the youngest male medalist at the Deaflympic history (12 years, 8 months and 17 days) and also became the youngest gold medalist in the history of Deaflympics. Rohit Bhaker too claimed bronze medals in the men's singles and mixed team events as a part of the 2005 Summer Deaflympics.

He is often compared to Rajeev Bagga, a fellow Indian deaf badminton player who has clinched 12 gold medals at the Deaflympics representing Britain.

India is an active members of the United Nations Volunteer Programme and regularly deputes volunteers as per the programme, more than 1800 Indian’s have worked under the United Nations in many Countries. Rupmani Chhetri has been India’s representative as International United Nations Volunteer - (Advocacy Specialist on Disability) from 20-Mar-2017 to 20-Mar-2018 at Kyiv, Ukraine. She is also an executive member of the National Association for the Deaf (NAD)

What makes Rupmani different from the other Indians who are also serving as Volunteers? Rupmani Chhetri is Hearing and Speech Impaired. 

Born in Nepal, her parents moved to Darjeeling India, when she was 6 month’s old, her parents did not realize that she had a hearing loss, nor the teachers in her school realized her impairment. Her parents took her to priests and quacks to seek hearing loss treatment. Rupmani was the only child with a disability as her 2 younger siblings were normal. Her father stopped taking interest in her and refused to pay her school fees. She also worked as a manual labourer on daily wages. All this disgusted her and she found an escape in a Delhi based Hearing Impaired man. Rupmani thought that the man whom she married will understand her and she will not be discriminated against, unfortunately, the marriage did not work out and she went through very difficult times getting a divorce from him.

Rupmani feels that India has a long way to go and is lagging behind in being disable friendly. Her advice to the parents of the kids who are differently abled is “Just empower them and help them believe in themselves. There is no need for sympathy. They can achieve anything. Just remove the ‘im’ from impossible.”

Rupmani now is the Deaf Engagement & Marketing Manager at SignAble 

Sources:

Q: What steps do you think would help the litigation field accommodate more people like you?

The first step would be to maintain an interpreter. If the courts have an atmosphere where people with disabilities do not feel rushed, I think more people would come to the fore and join the field. An interpreter would efficiently convey what we are arguing to the court and convey the judge’s remarks back to us as well. 

Another thing that helps me is, like I said, when people talk slowly. It would make a great difference if the proceedings are slowed down just a bit when it’s our turn to argue.

A software that reduces the communication gap between lawyers like me and the Judges would also be beneficial. There could perhaps be an option to type out everything we wish to communicate. There are numerous possibilities that could be explored in this area.  

But all of this boils down to one thing: mental block.  At the outset, I think it is the mindset of the people that needs a change. We overcome social hurdles like prejudice and avoidance so often. If everyone cooperates and demonstrates some patience when we are appearing in a case, maybe it would all be better. 

Speaking to LiveLaw through a virtual meeting, an enthusiastic and cheerful Sarah appeared on the screen. She was visibly excited and was surrounded by her colleagues, Advocates Ramya B.T, Disha G.P and Manik B.T. They helped her convey her words accurately to us and we knew at once that she was enveloped in an atmosphere with an abundance of understanding and affection. 

Q: How would you introduce yourself to the world?

I’m Sarah Sunny, and I am a deaf advocate. Of course, I’m the first deaf advocate in our country. I have chosen to overcome the challenges that my disability poses, and consider myself truly enabled because of my active listening skills and the normal education that I have received through the course of my professional education. I graduated with a three-year LL.B from St. Joseph’s College of Law in Bangalore. Before pursuing my law degree, I graduated from Jyoti Nivas College in Bangalore, with a Bachelor’s Degree in Commerce. My parents are Sunny and betty. My father is a chartered accountant from Kottayam. I have two siblings; Maria, my twin sister is a chartered accountant and my elder brother Pratik is an Engineer. 

Q: So you went to a regular school instead of attending a special school. Did you face any difficulties in this process? 

In the beginning, it was quite demanding. For instance, when I was in Grade 1, my classmates didn’t know I was deaf. I had a hard time understanding what was going on in the class, but my teachers were extremely helpful. After 4th Grade, things changed. Everyone knew about me and I even made very close friends on the way. They helped me with everything. In fact, I’d say my school life was perfect (she happily gestures ‘good’ with her hands).

Q: Your father is a Chartered Accountant, so is your twin sister. What made you choose law?

When I was young, I used to often argue with everyone about right and wrong. I’d call out on people and correct them. I always questioned things. Watching me being unapologetically argumentative, my father once said, ‘you’ll make a good lawyer.’ Little did he know he was sowing the seeds of a dream in my life. Since then, it has been on my mind. I took it to heart and refused to settle for anything less. 

Q: Have you faced any hurdles while arguing with an interpreter before the court?

So far I have not appeared before the High Court. However, I did appear before several tribunals and for arbitration proceedings. They were quite understanding and patient with me. During one of my recent appearances, Justice Venu Gopal Gowda appreciated me so much, he even said I should lead the arbitration next time.

Q: What message would you like to pass on to those who share this disability?

People with disabilities think they can’t make it big, but they are wrong. You should study, and get an education like other children. Don’t limit yourself. I hope one day we learn to treat everyone equally despite their disabilities. One day, we’ll make this world an inclusive place. 

Source: In Conversation With Sarah Sunny, The First Deaf Lawyer Of India, 2021

Surender Mohan Pathak was born 19 February 1940 at Khemkaran, in Tarn Taran district near Amritsar, in the Majha region of Punjab. He is an author of Hindi-language crime fiction with nearly 300 novels to his credit. His writing career, along with his full-time job in Indian Telephone Industries, Delhi, began in the early 1960s with his Hindi translations of Ian Fleming's James Bond novels and the works of James Hadley Chase. He also wrote his own James Bond series. His first short story, 57 saal puraana aadmi (५७ साल पुराना आदमी, The Man 57 from Years Ago), was published in a Hindi magazine Manohar Kahaniyaan (मनोहर कहानीयां) in 1959. His first full-length novel, Purane Gunah Naye Gunahgar (Sunil Series), was published in Neelam Jaasoos (a Hindi crime fiction magazine) in 1963.His major work began with what is called the "Sunil" series (सुनील-सीरीज़) which consists of at least 122 novels. 

Sunil, a debonair and upright investigative journalist for the fictional daily newspaper Blast, lives in the fictional city of Rajnagar, a metropolitan city located on the coastline. Sunil has a quixotic nature when it comes to damsels in distress, which happens only too often. He is a man in his 30s, who is willing to go any lengths in pursuit of justice, mostly with help of his best friend Ramakant Malhotra, a dipsomaniac and owner of a club called Youth Club. His attempts to protect the innocent often result in Sunil ending up on the wrong side of the law, bringing him face to face with Inspector Prabhudayal, the exceptionally strict and incorruptible officer in charge of the homicide division of the Rajnagar Police.

 Vaibhav Kothari, a deaf and mute entrepreneur, engineer and motivational speaker, Experienced and strong professional/entrepreneur with a Master of Business Administration (MBA) focused in Management from University of Denver : Daniels College of Business, Technological Entrepreneurship from Northeastern University and Industrial & System Engineering from Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY. Profoundly Deaf and Spiritual. Fluent in American Sign Language (ASL).

Vaibhav has founded, and is still managing www.OMVAI.com, an e-commerce store that sells healing gemstones accessories and pashmina shawls. 

He also hosts The OMVAI Talk Show, where he interviews with different leaders, professionals and celebrities. 

Vaibhav is also involved in some business activities with OM Kothari Group. This group has interests in engineering construction, infrastructure, automotive dealerships, manufacturing and real estate. The group’s flagship company, OM Infra Ltd (listed on the NSE and BSE) is a global leader in providing the whole turnkey solutions of hydromechanical equipment for dams, irrigation and other hydroelectric power projects .

Virender Singh, better known as 'Goonga Pehelwan', now has a Padma Shri to cap off his stellar performances. Competing in the 74 kg weight division, he has won 3 Deaflympics Gold Medals and a Bronze Medal in 4 appearances. He won Gold Medals at 2005 Summer Deaflympics (Melbourne, Australia), 2013 Summer Deaflympics (Sofia, Bulgaria) and 2017 Summer Deaflympics (Samsun, Turkey). Further, he also won a Bronze at 2009 Summer Deaflympics (Taipei, Chinese Taipei).

Virender also won the World Title at the World Championship and has Gold, Silver and Bronze apiece at the three World Deaf Wrestling Championships that he has been to. Virender won a Gold at 2016 World Deaf Wrestling Championship (Tehran, Iran), a Silver at 2008 World Deaf Wrestling Championship (Yerevan, Armenia) and a Bronze at the 2012 World Deaf Wrestling Championship (Sofia, Bulgaria).This makes it 7 medals at the 7 international events that Virender has been a part of. In July 2015, he received the prestigious Arjuna Award – India's sporting honor. Before that, he had received the Rajiv Gandhi State Sports Award, awarded by the Government of Delhi, India.

Amazing Deaf Musicians

(in lexicographic order of family name)

One of the most surprising facts about Beethoven is that he was deaf. How can a musician, a composer, lack what we would imagine to be his most important sense? - When Beethoven announced his deafness

Sources:

Ludwig van Beethoven

“How he dealt with this deafness is one of the great stories of humanity, not just of music.” — Music Director Donato Cabrera

Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 1770 – 26 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. His first major orchestral work, the First Symphony, premiered in 1800, and his first set of string quartets was published in 1801. Despite his hearing deteriorating during this period, he continued to conduct, premiering his Third and Fifth Symphonies in 1804 and 1808, respectively. His Violin Concerto appeared in 1806. His last piano concerto (No. 5, Op. 73, known as the Emperor), was premiered in 1811, without Beethoven as soloist. He was almost completely deaf by 1814, and he then gave up performing and appearing in public. 


Why did Beethoven go deaf?


Beethoven began losing his hearing in his mid-20s, after already building a reputation as a musician and composer. The cause of his deafness remains a mystery, though modern analysis of his DNA revealed health issues including large amounts of lead in his system. Theories range from syphilis to lead poisoning, typhus, or possibly even his habit of plunging his head into cold water to keep himself awake.


Sources:

Eric Clapton

Eric Patrick Clapton CBE (born 30 March 1945) is an English rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter, widely regarded as one of the most important and influential guitarists of all time. Clapton ranked second in Rolling Stone's list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time".


In his early days, Eric Clapton and his band Cream were all about being loud. “I probably had two 100-watt stacks at the height of things and I would turn one on for guitar solos,” Clapton told the Daily Express newspaper. “It was just mad!”


The excessive decibels and time on stage brought on tinnitus for the famous guitarist and singer. Some say the singer is partially deaf in one ear as well!

Sean Forbes

Sean Forbes (born February 5, 1982) is a deaf American hip-hop artist. His long-time producer and collaborator is Jake Bass, and together they have penned over 100 songs, many of which they perform live.


Sean is a co-founder of D-PAN, The Deaf Professional Arts Network, a nonprofit organization that has been making music accessible to the Deaf and hard of hearing community by creating American Sign Language interpretation music videos of popular songs. D-PAN has created videos for John Mayer, Christina Aguilera, Eminem, White Stripes, Owl City, Carly Rae Jepsen, The Clark Sisters, Imagine Dragons, and more.


When Sean was only a year old, he lost 90% of his hearing. Sean became deaf most likely from spinal meningitis when he was just a few months old. 

Evelyn Glennie

Dame Evelyn Elizabeth Ann Glennie, CH, DBE (born 19 July 1965) is a Scottish percussionist. She was selected as one of the two laureates for the Polar Music Prize of 2015.


Glennie has been profoundly deaf since the age of 12, having started to lose her hearing at the age of 8. This does not inhibit her ability to perform. She regularly plays barefoot during live performances and studio recordings to feel the music.


Glennie contends that deafness is largely misunderstood by the public. She explains that she taught herself to hear with parts of her body other than her ears. On her website Glennie published "Hearing Essay" in which she discusses her condition. Glennie also discusses how she feels music in different parts of her body in her TED talk "How To Truly Listen", published in 2003, and a collection of her speeches and writings are published in her book Listen World!.

Ayumi Hamasaki

Ayumi Hamasaki (born October 2, 1978) is a Japanese singer, songwriter, record producer, actress, model, spokesperson, and entrepreneur. During the height of her career, Hamasaki was dubbed the "Empress of J-pop" because of her popularity in Japan and elsewhere in Asia.


In January 2008, Hamasaki announced on her blog that an inoperable condition, possibly tinnitus or Ménière's disease, had caused complete deafness in her left ear. She had been diagnosed with the condition in 2006 and that the problem dated to 2000, when she developed an ear infection but continued to perform against the advice of doctors. On May 20, 2017, she wrote that she is also losing hearing in her right ear, and had experienced dizziness and nausea. She vowed to continue performing, writing: "The stage is where I belong. It's the only place I really, truly exist. I don't know anything else."

Mandy Harvey

Amanda Lynn Harvey (born January 2, 1988) is an American jazz and pop singer and songwriter. Profoundly deaf following an illness at the age of 18, she was a contestant in the 12th season of America's Got Talent, where she performed original songs during the competition. 

Harvey was born in Cincinnati, Ohio before moving to St. Cloud, Florida. She had hearing problems and underwent several surgeries as a child to try to correct them. Her family moved to Colorado when she was a young child. She sang throughout her childhood and her talent was recognized at Longmont High School, where she graduated in 2006. Harvey gradually lost her hearing as a result of the connective tissues disorder Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. She lost her remaining hearing when she was eighteen, while she was majoring in vocal music education at Colorado State University; as a result she left the university.

After fully losing her hearing in 2007, Harvey became depressed and quit music. However, with the aid of visual tuners she learned how to find the correct pitches when singing. In 2008 she met jazz pianist Mark Sloniker at Jay's Bistro in Fort Collins, Colorado, where she began performing regularly.

Ozzy Osbourne

John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne (born 3 December 1948) is an English singer, songwriter, and television personality. He rose to prominence during the 1970s as the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Black Sabbath, during which period he adopted the nickname "Prince of Darkness".


When you think of loud music, it’s hard not to think of Ozzy Osbourne, a man who led a stadium to the Guinness world record for the longest crowd scream. While the rocker’s hearing damage isn’t as bad as you might suspect, he does suffer from permanent tinnitus.  

"I suffer from permanent tinnitus ... which means I've got this constant ringing in my ears, which has also made me somewhat deaf (or 'conveniently deaf,' as Sharon calls it),” Osbourne told the Sunday Times of London. “It's like this Wheel noise in my head all the time. Should have worn earplugs, I guess."

Ozzy has starred in an educational video titled Listen Smart, that was used to spread awareness about hearing loss and how to protect your ears from damage.

Peter Townshend

Peter Dennis Blandford Townshend (born 19 May 1945) is an English musician, singer and songwriter. He is co-founder, leader, guitarist, second lead vocalist and principal songwriter of the Who, one of the most influential rock bands of the 1960s and 1970s.


In 1983, Townshend received the Brit Award for Lifetime Achievement and in 1990 he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Who. In 2001, he received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award as a member of the Who.


Townshend suffers from partial deafness and tinnitus, believed to be the result of noise-induced hearing loss from his extensive exposure to loud music. In 1989, Townshend gave the initial funding to allow the formation of the non-profit hearing advocacy group H.E.A.R. (Hearing Education and Awareness for Rockers). After the Who performed at half-time at Super Bowl XLIV, Townshend stated that he is concerned that his tinnitus has grown to such a point that he might be forced to discontinue performing with the band altogether. He told Rolling Stone, "If my hearing is going to be a problem, we're not delaying shows. We're finished. I can't really see any way around the issue." 

Stephen Stills

Stephen Arthur Stills (born January 3, 1945) is an American musician, singer and songwriter best known for his work with Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. As both a solo act and member of two successful bands, Stills has combined record sales of over 35 million albums. Stills became the first person to be inducted twice with his groups on the same night into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. According to Neil Young, "Stephen is a genius."

Hearing loss can be diagnosed at a very young age, as was the experience for young Stephen Stills. As Stills performed live, as well as in recording sessions, his hearing suffered further damage. In 1976, Stills told Rolling Stone, "My hearing has gotten to be a terrible problem. If I keep playing and touring the way I have been, I'll go deaf."

Luckily, Neil Young, helped Stills out by suggesting special hearing aids that improved his life significantly.

Lars Ulrich R

Lars Ulrich R (born 26 December 1963) is a Danish musician best known as the drummer and co-founder of American heavy metal band Metallica. 

Ulrich cites a loud Metallica tour in 1988 as the beginning of his incessant tinnitus and hearing loss, and his condition worsened over time until it would wake him up in the middle of the night.

“I would often fall asleep with the television on, and I would wake up in the middle of the night to go turn it off,” he said. “Except it wasn’t actually on. When I realized that I was doing that frequently, actually getting up to turn the TV off that wasn’t on to begin with, I realized that maybe I had some issues.”

Like many of his peers, he’s also an outspoken about the risks of over-exposure to noise.

Brian Wilson

Brian Douglas Wilson (born June 20, 1942) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer who co-founded the Beach Boys. 


At age 11, during a Christmas choir recital, Wilson was discovered to have significantly diminished hearing in his right ear. A family doctor soon diagnosed the issue as a nerve impingement. The cause is unclear; theories range from it being a birth defect to him being struck by either his father or a neighborhood boy.


One account from Wilson suggested that the deafness was caused by his father slapping his ear shortly before his third birthday. Brian said of his father in a 2000 interview, "I was born deaf ... He hit me with a 2×4, but I was already deaf by that time."

Neil Young

Neil Percival Young OC OM (born November 12, 1945) is a Canadian-American singer, musician and songwriter. Young has received several Grammy and Juno Awards. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducted him twice: in 1995 as a solo artist and in 1997 as a member of Buffalo Springfield.


In 1991, Young, and the band Crazy Horse released a live concert album titled Weld. However, while mixing the live album, Young said it affected his hearing. “That’s why I really regret it,” he said. “I hurt my ears and they’ll never be the same again.”


At one point, Young decided to stop recording for a few years. His hearing loss also changed his creative path. Young cites his hearing loss as the reason for a creative shift towards the more ambient sound seen in his seminal album Harvest Moon.


“I made Harvest Moon because I didn’t want to hear any loud sounds. ... My hearing’s not perfect, but it’s OK.”

The Deaf Musicians: Book

The Deaf Musicians by Pete Seeger, Paul Dubois Jacobs and, R. Gregory Gregory Christie, 2006

Poor Lee! He used to be a jazzman who could make the piano go yimbatimba- TANG—zang-zang. But now he's lost his hearing, and the bandleader had to let him go.

So Lee goes to a school for the deaf to learn sign language. There, he meets Max, who used to play the sax. Riding the subway to class, they start signing about all the songs they love. A bass player named Rose joins in and soon they've got a little sign language band. And in no time they're performing for audiences in the subway, night after night.

Living legend and Kennedy Center honoree Pete Seeger, renowned poet Paul DuBois Jacobs, and Coretta Scott King honor winner R. Gregory Christie present a jazzy riff on the power of music, overcoming obstacles, and all the different ways to hear the world. So, who will listen to a deaf musician? Everyone!