10 famous people who stood out despite being deaf
On the International Day of Deafness we recognize those who have broken down stereotypes and triumph in various fields ... look at the gallery!
Have you stopped to think what would your life be like without you not having any of your senses? What if you couldn't hear? Your life would be radically different. In addition, this topic would lead us to a huge debate about inclusion and the world in which we live.
Today is the International Day of Deafness, and this date is used to make visible, as well as give a voice and a place to people who for some reason have a hearing disability.
Deafness or hearing loss is the total or partial inability to hear sounds in one or both ears. Although it is a problem that we generally associate with people who are dedicated to music, no one is exempt.
For many, this disability can represent a personal and professional development problem among those who suffer from it, however, there are those who turn this problem into an impulse to pursue and achieve their dreams.
At De10.mx we wanted to make a compilation of 10 celebrities who, despite not hearing, achieved recognition and became role models ...
1. Nyle DiMarco
He is an American activist, model and actor. Nyle is deaf from birth, like most of his family for several generations. He won the America's Next Top Model contest and from that moment began to break stereotypes and demolished prejudices about what a deaf person “can do or not do”, by taking first place in Dancing with the Stars. He has shown that deafness is not a limitation, which is why he created a foundation focused on the education of deaf people, combating labels in the LGTBIQ + collective.
He has walked for designers of the stature of Giorgio Armani and his acting career is taking off. Nyle affirms that everything has to do with the attitude with which you take your situation.
2. Lauren Ridloff
She is an American actress recognized for her work on The Walking Dead. Her father is a musician and her mother an artist, but she was born with hearing problems. When she was a child she loved to read and watch movies. She studied at Gallaudet University and the University of Illinois and worked as an Infant teacher for more than ten years.
At 41, Lauren is the mother of two boys who were also born deaf. In addition, the actress will play Makkari in Marvel's The Eternals.
3. Beethoven
After presenting his First Symphony, when he was beginning his career as a composer, Ludwig van Beethoven began to notice the first symptoms of his deafness. His hearing problem was not caused by music, but by illness. As in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries there were no tools to diagnose, nor the knowledge that we have today, the origin of his problem is not clearly known. It is said that it could be an inflammation of the intestines or even syphilis. The disease progressed rapidly and within 10 years, Beethoven was completely deaf.
But far from departing from his great love, music, this disability had a strong impact on his compositions, because as the hearing loss progressed, his scores evolved, since the frequencies he heard "worse" were used by each less time.
4. Marlee Matlin
She was born on August 24, 1965, but at 18 months old, a genetic malformation caused her to lose hearing in the right ear and 80% of the hearing capacity in the left. This disability did not limit her dreams of becoming an actress and at age 7 she played Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, in a play.
In the cinema she starred, along with William Hurt, in the film Children of a Lesser God. Her work on this film earned her the Oscar for Best Actress in 1987.
5. Lou Ferrigno
He was born on November 9, 1951, but since childhood he had a hearing loss. He did not wear any devices in his ears until he was 5 years old. In adolescence he suffered from discrimination, because it was extremely difficult for him to communicate. Despite everything, he became the youngest bodybuilding world champion in history. Thanks to his worked body, he rose to fame with the character of The Incredible Hulk.
6. Brian Johnson
The AC / DC leader left the group in 2016 due to his deafness. The singer's problem is not due to exposure to loud music, but because he is a fan of motor racing and the noise of engines and tires damaged his ears. However, he continues to collaborate with other groups, as he does not intend to leave one of his great passions.
7. Halle Berry
The American actress lost 80% of her hearing in her left ear, due to gender violence. Yes, she was constantly abused by one of her ex-boyfriends, to the point that this guy almost left her completely deaf. Since then, Halle Berry has sought to help and raise awareness among women who suffer from violence by their partners.
8. Brenda Costa
This model was born in 1982 in Brazil. Her deafness problem is from birth, and although in the first casting that she appeared, she was rejected due to her condition, her talent has led her to position herself as one of the best models from Rio de Janeiro. Brenda communicates through sign language, some spoken words, and lip reading.
9. Francisco de Goya
This Spanish painter and engraver is considered the forerunner of the pictorial avant-garde of the 20th century. Due to an illness, he became deaf in 1792. It is known that he knew sign language because in one of his engravings made in 1812 you can see hands representing the letters of the alphabet.
10. Thomas Alva Edison
This inventor had a hearing problem, but the origin is unclear. The funny thing is, he worked on hearing aid design and tested other inventors' hearing aids. Edison saw the positive side of hearing loss, as he said that the absence of external noise allowed her to focus more on his work.
