Fight for Education Equity for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children | Jeffrey S. Bravin | TEDxNewHaven

In this talk, the speaker provides a deep and personal exploration of their experience as a fourth-generation Deaf individual, elucidating their educational journey, professional roles in Deaf education, and their perspective on critical considerations within Deaf culture and technology. The speaker critically examines the concept of the “Least Restrictive Environment” (LRE) as stipulated under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), emphasizing the importance of meeting a student’s unique language needs, social/emotional needs, communication preferences, and opportunities for direct peer and teacher interactions. They advocate for a more appropriate interpretation of LRE, asserting that specialized schools for the Deaf offer a language-rich environment that best meets the diverse needs of D/deaf and hard-of-hearing students and reduces feelings of isolation, thus enhancing overall educational outcomes. Jeffrey S. Bravin is the Executive Director of the American School for the Deaf (ASD) in West Hartford, CT. Since joining ASD in 2002, he has been instrumental in overseeing the school’s operations, including educational development, admissions, finance, faculty development, and public relations. Mr. Bravin previously served as the Assistant Executive Director/Chief Operating Officer and played a key role in the construction of ASD’s state-of-the-art educational facility. He brings a wealth of experience from his tenure at the Lexington School for the Deaf and holds multiple degrees in government, deaf education, and school administration. Currently pursuing an Ed.D. in Education Leadership, Mr. Bravin actively contributes to advisory boards and councils related to disability services and educational administration for the deaf community. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community.

Inside the Deaf President Now! Documentary | Greg Hlibok Interview | YouTube deafvideotv

Greg Hlibok, student leader of the 1988 Deaf President Now protest, breaks down the movement that transformed Deaf history. In this exclusive interview, he reacts to the new Apple TV+ documentary, reveals behind-the-scenes moments, and reflects on how the protest helped spark the ADA.

From the fight for Deaf leadership at Gallaudet University to building political momentum in Congress, Greg shares what really happened — and what still matters today.

ASL Lecture: Deanne Bray-Kotsur | YouTube – RIT | NTID

‘Deafness is not a disability — it’s just a difference’: Reflecting on Deaf Awareness Month | The Cavalier Daily

When students walk into an American Sign Language class at the University, they do not hear voices. Instead, they gather around in a semi-circle, looking each other in the eye, their hands animated in conversation. This classroom environment mirrors the broader Deaf community — one rooted in connection and shared understanding — and fosters a sense of belonging among University students regardless of hearing ability.

This kind of atmosphere took on special significance this past September during Deaf Awareness Month, a time to celebrate Deaf culture and recognize those who have paved the way for the Deaf community. Throughout this month and beyond, University students and faculty alike have worked to strengthen understanding about deafness and foster inclusion of Deaf individuals, building bridges that transcend sound.

As a student in the ASL program and President of DEAFS, a CIO that elevates Deaf culture, fourth-year College student and hearing individual Lydia Smith emphasized the importance of challenging and correcting common misconceptions about deafness.

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ASL vs. English: What’s the REAL difference? | YouTube – The Sign Polyglot

Is American Sign Language really its own language, or just “English with hands”? This video breaks down the 14 biggest differences between ASL and English so you can clearly see why ASL is a complete, stand-alone language with its own grammar, structure, and culture. You’ll learn about visual vs. auditory communication, iconicity, directional verbs, pronouns, time markers, classifiers, role shifts, facial expressions, number systems, and more. Each concept is explained with examples, plus insights into whether ASL students usually find it easy or hard to learn. If you’re starting your ASL journey—or still unsure how different ASL really is from English—this video will give you clarity, motivation, and practical guidance for learning American Sign Language.

Deaf Centered Interpreting – Introduction ｜ YouTube

Deaf Centered Interpreting, presented by Thomas K. Holcomb, for Deaf people and interpreters.

ASL Lecture: Thomas Holcomb, Intro to Deaf American Culture | RIT | NTID

New Language Technologies for ASL| USC Viterbi

USC Researchers achieved 91 percent accuracy at computer recognition of signs

While there is “talk to text,” there’s no equivalent tool for American Sign Language (ASL) to be automatically recognized and translated into text. New research and language technologies developed by scholars affiliated with the USC School of Advanced Computing’s Thomas Lord Department of Computer Science might help future researchers who aim to build translation tools.

The team’s innovations outlined in paper presented at the 2025 Nations of the Americas Chapter of the Association for Computational Linguistics conference, are in developing a machine learning model that treats sign language data as a complex linguistic system rather than just a mere translation of English. The team led by Lee Kezar, then a doctoral candidate in computer science out of Professor Jesse Thomason’s GLAMOR (Grounding Language in Actions, Multimodal Observations, and Robotics) Lab, introduces a new natural language processing model, incorporating the spatial and semantic richness of ASL, treating it as a primary language with its own syntax.

The first step for developing a means of ASL recognition which demands an understanding of the language’s specific nuances—and how natural signing may be divided into phonological features, such as the ‘C handshape’ or ‘produced on the forearm’” for a computer.

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Learn Sign Language with Gecko’s Garage! | Gecko Is Frozen | YouTube – MyGo! ASL for Kids

Gecko’s Garage is an animated edutainment series designed for curious minds aged 2 to 5. Dive into a colorful world teeming with friendly vehicles, helpful robots, and the brilliant mechanic, Gecko. As kids learn about different vehicles, they also explore essential concepts like colors, shapes, and numbers, fostering basic cognitive development in a delightful and engaging way.

Prompt Engineering for deaf people | YouTube – DigiDeaf

What’s Prompt Engineering, and why is it crucial? This lesson reveals the art of crafting better prompts to get the most out of ChatGPT. Discover how the clarity of your instructions shapes the quality of AI responses!