Remembering Mario D’Agata, boxing’s only deaf world champion ｜ BOXINGSCENE

On June 29, 1956 – 69 years ago this weekend – Mario D’Agata finally had his moment. His French rival Robert Cohen, who had controversially outpointed him two years earlier, had stayed in his corner when the bell rang to start the seventh. In front of an adoring crowd of 38,000 at Rome’s Stadio Olympico, D’Agata had become, after Primo Carnera, Italy’s second world boxing champion.

D’Agata would lose his crown in his first defense; unlike the third Italian world champion, Duilio Loi, his was not by standard metrics a Hall of Fame career. But he carved his own niche in the annals of boxing lore, because D’Agata could neither speak nor hear. He was boxing’s first, and to this day only, deaf-mute world champion.

Born on May 29, 1926, in the Tuscan town of Arezzo, he was one of three children out of seven to be born into the family without hearing, and when he was a teenager, the family moved to Rome in search of a cure. While there, D’Agata walked into a boxing gym after seeing a poster of a boxer on the front door and, intrigued and inspired, he resolved to try it out – his enthusiasm for the sport doubtless fired by countless street fights as a result of being taunted for his disability as a child.

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Amplifying Deaf Stories: UVA Student Creates First-Ever Festival ｜ UVA Today

When University of Virginia fourth-year student Molly Rathbun propped open the doors to Nau Hall on a rainy February morning, she wasn’t sure who would brave the weather for the event she created.

By day’s end, Rathbun’s Deaf Literature Festival had welcomed more than 80 attendees, featured six authors in the Deaf community and hosted an open mic session.

Rathbun, a psychology major with an American Sign Language and Deaf culture minor, took her first ASL course, ASL 1010, during her second year at UVA, with no prior experience with the language.

“I was just excited to meet new people from a culture different from my own,” Rathbun said, “and the UVA ASL program exceeded those expectations with welcoming classes and immediate immersion into the Deaf community.”

UVA’s ASL program builds a tight-knit community through its five-semester progression from beginner to conversational fluency, weekly practice opportunities and cultural events bringing students together beyond the classroom.

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NHL in ASL: “That Deaf Ref” David McGregor | YouTube – NHL

David McGregor, a Deaf professional hockey referee based in Vancouver, shares his story of growing up a Deaf hockey fan and why NHL in ASL is instrumental in bridging the gap of hockey coverage for the Deaf and hard of hearing community.

NHL in ASL, presented by Scotiabank in Canada, will be returning for the second year in a row for the 2025 Stanley Cup Final.

The telecast will feature Deaf commentators providing real-time coverage of play-by-play and color commentary entirely in American Sign Language.

Available to stream exclusively on MAX in the U.S. and Sportsnet+ in Canada.

For more information visit https://www.nhl.com/fans/nhl-in-asl

MassBay Staff Member Inspires ASL T-Shirt to Promote Inclusion and the Deaf Community | Framingham Source

Lisa Dunn, a dedicated member of the Admissions team at MassBay Community College since 2014, has inspired a meaningful initiative to promote inclusion and raise awareness about the Deaf community. Lisa, who is deaf, has been a driving force in sharing MassBay’s welcoming spirit with students and the broader community.

Last spring, Lisa attended a Worcester Red Sox (WooSox) game during their Deaf and Hard of Hearing Awareness Night, an event celebrating fans in the Deaf community. That evening, Lisa purchased a t-shirt featuring the WooSox logo written in American Sign Language (ASL). Lisa proudly wore the shirt and, inspired by its impact, shared the idea with her colleagues. Together, they envisioned creating a similar t-shirt to represent MassBay’s support for the Deaf community.

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What If You Couldn’t Talk? | Justina Miles | TEDxPenn | YouTube – TEDx Talks

Justina Miles discusses the challenges faced by the Deaf community due to language deprivation. Miles advocates for the importance of American Sign Language (ASL) in cognitive development and social inclusion, calling for greater acceptance and integration of Deaf culture.

Deaf in America – Nightly Films | YouTube – NBC News

Millions of Americans are Deaf or hard of hearing, and many rely on American Sign Language or ASL to communicate. Nightly Films follows students and teachers at Connecticut’s American School for the Deaf, where ASL was born, as well as a midtown Manhattan school that’s teaching ASL to hearing students — to learn its vibrant history and rich culture, bridge the gap to create a more inclusive world — and reveal what it’s really like being Deaf in America.

The Journey of an ASL Interpreter | From Beginning to End | YouTube – Learn How to Sign

In this one-hour + “video podcast”, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of the interpreting profession, including real-life scenarios, ethical considerations, and personal insights from over two decades of interpreting. Darla also goes in depth on what it takes to become an interpreter, including the education and certification required. She shares her journey, experience and advice to hopefully inspire you too to become an interpreter for the Deaf. If you’re interested in ASL, and specifically are considering becoming an ASL interpreter for the Deaf, this is a must watch video!

How Captions Went from Niche to Necessity | ASL Curb Cut Effect | WABE

ASL For the first three decades of television, there were no captions of any kind, leaving Deaf viewers unable to fully participate in a medium that shaped culture and conversation. The fight for closed captioning was a battle for access and inclusion. Deaf advocates spent decades pushing broadcasters, lawmakers, and technology companies to make television—and later, the internet—accessible.

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The Inclusivity Conversation Needs To Include The Deaf Community, Especially In Hollywood | Forbes

Despite recent strides toward gender parity in leading roles, where women matched men for the first time by representing 42% of protagonists in top-grossing films in 2024, significant disparities persist in the Hollywood. Representation of people of color in lead roles dropped from 37% in 2023 to 25% in 2024, falling short of reflecting the U.S. population’s diversity. Behind the scenes, women held only 15% of directorial positions in theatrical movies, highlighting the ongoing challenges in achieving true inclusivity.

But beyond gender and racial disparities, another group remains critically underrepresented: the Deaf community. Despite the talent within the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing population, opportunities in Hollywood are scarce, with Deaf actors, writers and directors frequently overlooked in favor of hearing professionals. Authentic representation and inclusive hiring practices remain major industry gaps, limiting employment opportunities and the depth of storytelling available to audiences. As calls for inclusivity grow louder, it is crucial to recognize that true diversity must extend beyond race and gender to include individuals with disabilities—especially in an industry built on the power of storytelling.

Michelle Mary Schaefer, a Deaf actor, writer and filmmaker, is working to change that. As the founder of Annabelle Louise Productions, Schaefer has dedicated her career to telling authentic stories and providing opportunities for underrepresented talent in front of and behind the camera.

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NTID Deaf Artists: Rubbena Aurangzeb-Tariq

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Note: there is voice narration and closed captions available.