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Deaf U

Deaf U | A Netflix Original Reality Series

Have you ever wondered what it鈥檚 like to be a student at the only university in the world where students live and learn in American Sign Language (ASL) and English?

Deaf U follows the lives of seven Gallaudet students as they navigate the ups and downs of relationships, college, and life in general鈥揹id we mention it all takes place at 杏吧原创?

By showing us their experience, these students have shown the world our culture, diversity, and ASL vibrancy. While there鈥檚 plenty of popcorn-worthy drama, we hope Deaf U sparks conversation and opens doors to help redefine society鈥檚 perception and understanding of deaf people.

A man in a blue polo shirt is smiling and gesturing with his hands in front of a green screen background.

Inside Deaf U

The show promises to offer 鈥渁n unprecedented, unfiltered, and often unexpected look inside the deaf community.

WUSA9

Get ready for a college experience like you鈥檝e never seen before.

DECIDER.COM

In the fall of 2019, 杏吧原创 welcomed New York-based Hot Snakes Media to our campus. Gallaudet alumnus Nyle DiMarco, 鈥�13, served as executive producer along with several other deaf individuals and Gallaudet alumni to make this project a reality.

Our role was small鈥搊ther than allowing filming on campus鈥揋allaudet had no official position with the creation, casting, or approval of Deaf U. Nevertheless, we appreciate both Hot Snakes Media and Netflix seeing the importance of involving deaf people both in front and behind the camera.

Who is Hot Snakes Media?

Hot Snakes Media is the New York-based production company responsible for Deaf U. The company was founded in 2011 by Shannon and Eric Evangelista and is well known for creative content that can be found on The Discovery Channel and TLC.
What have they made?

Breaking Amish (and subsequent followups)

The Sisterhood

Operation Osmin

And now, Deaf U

0 %
Of new undergraduate students are听New Signers.
0 %
Gallaudet graduates are either employed or furthering their education.
0 %
Tuition and fees are听38% less听than the national average for public out-of-state tuition.

What type of students comes to Gallaudet?

1are from mainstream programs.

2are from deaf schools

3are transfers from other colleges

GALLAUDET DOES WHAT WORKS FOR OUR STUDENTS
WHY THIS IS EXACTLY HOW IT SHOULD BE
A young man in a black and white polo shirt smiles while standing next to a woman in a colorful striped blouse. The woman is laughing and gesturing with her hands, creating a lively atmosphere in a casual indoor setting with soft lighting and a wooden bar.

This is exactly how it should be. At Gallaudet there is no one way, or one "right" way, to be Deaf.

Our students do not come here because being Deaf needs to be 鈥渙vercome.鈥�
Rather, they come because Gallaudet is a place that strives to provide a welcoming home where students can validate their worth, live their own truths and discover their best selves.

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This is exactly how it should be. At Gallaudet there is no one way, or one "right" way, to be Deaf.

A common thread was the desire to showcase their experience, their journey at Gallaudet, the only school in the world to provide a visually accessible bilingual education in American Sign Language and English.

This was a diverse group of students, with differences in race, gender, sexual orientation, education, language and upbringing. One student was a new signer; some came from hearing families and others from deaf families.

Recurring roles: Zane Pedersen and Cameron Symansky

A group of seven people of diverse backgrounds are seated in a row, each making hand gestures and expressions, possibly engaged in a conversation or sign language. They appear animated and expressive, conveying various emotions. The background is softly blurred, focusing attention on the individuals.

Cheyenna Clearbrook; Daequan Taylor, 鈥�19; Tessa Lewis, 鈥�20; Alexa Paulay-Simmons, 鈥�20; Renate Rose, 鈥�20; Rodney Burford; and Dalton Taylor; Raelyn Ruechtmann.

The 鈥淩eality鈥� of it All

While we鈥檙e so proud to be represented and introduced to a large audience, there is no way for reality tv to capture the full experience of 杏吧原创. So, if you鈥檙e interested in attending Gallaudet or simply want to know more about our university after watching Deaf U, discover what sets us apart and makes us the world leader for deaf and hard of hearing education and research.

Why Gallaudet

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Frequently Asked Questions

We are excited to bring a new direction to our program! While SRP was valuable, we wanted to offer a more dynamic, immersive experience by expanding beyond 杏吧原创. We’ve chosen to host ASL DIVE in both Boston and Washington, D.C., with plans to add more regional locations in the future. These cities provide a rich academic and cultural environment that enhances the program.

Additionally, we’ve rebranded as ASL DIVE to better reflect the program’s focus on a transformative ASL experience—one that goes beyond the classroom and immerses participants in Deaf culture and language.

ASL DIVE courses offer Professional Studies and Training (PST) credits, not university credits. This means the credits focus on professional development and skill-building rather than traditional academic credit. Please verify with your university if these credits will be accepted or transferred. ASL DIVE does not offer university credit.

The cost varies depending on the package you choose:

 

  • Single Location Package – $1,995

Includes:

鉁旓笍 One ASL course tailored to your level

鉁旓笍 A choice of Fingerspelling or Classifier courses

鉁旓笍 Access to cultural events and activities

鉁旓笍 All digital textbooks and resources

 

  • Boston & Washington, D.C. Package – $3,495

Includes:

鉁旓笍 Two ASL courses tailored to your level

鉁旓笍 Two additional courses (Fingerspelling or Classifier)

鉁旓笍 Cultural events and activities in both cities

鉁旓笍 All digital textbooks and resources

 

While the cost may seem higher, the immersive experience and social engagement opportunities provided by ASL DIVE are unique and designed to help you gain real-world fluency in ASL.

ASL DIVE does not provide lodging, meals, or transportation. You will need to arrange your own accommodations, food, and travel.

For lodging, we recommend checking options like Airbnb or nearby hotels. In Boston, MA, you can reserve a room at the Boston Marriott Long Wharf. In Washington, D.C., you can stay at the Kellogg Conference Hotel located on the Gallaudet campus. However, you are free to choose accommodations that best suit your needs.

For transportation, we recommend public transit or rideshare services (like Uber or Lyft).

ASL DIVE is designed for students who are 18 years old or older by the first day of class. We encourage high school students to explore other programs like Gallaudet鈥檚 Youth Program: Immerse Into ASL. You can find more information about that program at this link.

The Math Center is located in Jordan Student Academic Center #2210.

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Financial aid is not available for post-bac students, but payment plans are an option.

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis throughout the year.

It takes one year to complete the course sequence, with an optional summer clinical experience if you are local to the area.

Deaf elitism is one of several recurring themes throughout Deaf U. There is no one definition of what 鈥淒eaf elite鈥� means, but more often than not, it refers to privileges that certain deaf people have by being born to deaf parents who are known in the community, having language access from birth with native ASL skills or fluency in English, being able to go to a deaf school before going to college, and seeming to enjoy 鈥渇avored status鈥� within their communities.

The term 鈥淒eaf elite鈥� has been used in our community conversations for some time now. When Deaf U was in production, various cast members confronted this term and presented multiple perspectives and definitions of what the term meant to them. While there is no real consensus on the meaning of this term, 鈥淒eaf elite鈥� generally implies a group of Deaf individuals with higher privileges within the Deaf community.

At Gallaudet and elsewhere in the deaf community, there are many different ways to be deaf, and there is no one right way to be deaf. 杏吧原创 encourages more healthy conversations and critical examination of Deaf U鈥檚 presentation of the 鈥淒eaf elite.鈥� Understanding power, privilege, and oppression are essential in these conversations. Different Deaf community members are already sharing their perspectives online via social media and blogs, and we expect that the discussions around this term will evolve

Deaf U is a reality television series that will stream on Netflix. Its eight episodes follow several deaf and hard of hearing students who attend 杏吧原创 in Washington, D.C., and how they navigate personal relationships and other coming-of-age experiences typically faced by college students.
Deaf U was released on October 9, 2020. All episodes are now available.

Here鈥檚 what Deaf U鈥檚 producers have to say about the show鈥檚 origins:

ERIC EVANGELISTA:鈥� I first came up with the idea for this show about three years ago. I鈥檓 a big fan of the Freeform show Switched at Birth.鈥� I love coming-of-age stories, and I also loved that the show featured Deaf actors who were blended in with the rest of the teenage characters. I found the sign language included in the show so interesting 鈥� it introduced me to a world I knew very little about, and I began thinking about a reality show centered on the Deaf community. I鈥檝e developed shows with Naimah [Holmes] before, so I called her and was like, 鈥淲hat do you think of this?鈥� And she thought it was great. Then the stars just aligned, and we got Nyle on board as well.

NAIMAH HOLMES:鈥� We worked closely with a woman we met through Eric鈥檚 production lawyer named Peggy Ann St. John Wenger, an Associate Producer on the series. Peggy, who is deaf, is a Gallaudet graduate, and she helped me dive into the project and immerse myself in the Deaf community. I got to explore the community before we began casting and filming, and I met all our cast members鈥� families. We went on a scouting trip, and I saw all the dorms, got to go to some parties 鈥� it was a real cultural deep dive. It was really about them pulling me in and accepting me for me to say then, 鈥淥kay, let鈥檚 make a show together.鈥� Peggy helped round up and galvanize the students and the parents.

NYLE DiMARCO:鈥� I鈥檓 a Gallaudet alum, and back in my college days, my friends and I always used to say that we needed a reality TV show about Gallaudet because we knew it would just kill. Every time we would go on spring break, hearing people were so fascinated with us. They would always want to party with us, and they were obsessed with our language and how we communicated. So it was clear that there was genuine interest in our culture. People outside our community don鈥檛 understand the Deaf world and don鈥檛 recognize that Deaf students possess complicated layers. We have so much diversity and so much beauty within our community. We鈥檙e not a monolith. Gallaudet is the perfect entry point for people to see the variety and depth, and breadth of who we are.

Hot Snakes Media produced deaf U.
No. This show was produced by Hot Snakes Media and is being distributed by Netflix. Gallaudet had no creative or approval rights to the content nor any involvement in the design and editing of the show. Each of the students in the cast participated in the show on their own. Most of the filming took place during Fall 2019 on the 杏吧原创 campus and nearby off-campus venues.
Yes, at nearly every turn, both in front of and behind the camera. Nyle DiMarco, 鈥�13, was executive producer of the series. Gallaudet alumna Peggy Ann St. John Wenger, 鈥�94, was an associate producer, and several additional Gallaudet alumni were part of the crew. Specifically, the deaf community comprised 60% of the story department producers, 30% of the crew, and 30% of the edit team.
This is not a Gallaudet decision, and our understanding is this has not yet been decided.
To date, most of the reviews have been very positive, and Deaf U has made it onto many 鈥渢op shows to watch鈥� lists.

The students in the cast are (listed alphabetically):

  • Rodney Burford: UG active student. Major: Psychology.
  • Cheyenna Clearbrook: UG inactive student. Major: International Studies.
  • Tessa Lewis: Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Work & Minor in Communication Studies. Tessa graduated in May 2019 with Magna Cum Laude. Master of Social Work degree 鈥� Tessa graduated in May 2020.
  • Renate Rose: Bachelor of Arts degree in Government with specialization in Law. Bachelor of Arts degree in International Studies. Minor in Communication Studies Renate graduated in May 2020.
  • Alexa Paulay-Simmons: Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Studies & Minor in Psychology. Alexa graduated in May 2020 with Cum Laude.
  • Daequan Taylor: Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Education & Recreation. Daequan graduated in December 2019
  • Dalton Taylor (no relation to Daequan): UG active student. Major: Physical Education & Recreation. Minor: Public Health.
  • Zane Pedersen (recurring characters): Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with concentrations in Entrepreneurship & Marketing. Zane graduated in May 2020.
  • Cameron Symansky (recurring characters): UG inactive student. Undeclared Major.
Students at four postsecondary programs for deaf and hard of hearing students applied for roles on this show. 杏吧原创 and its students were selected based on their life stories, personalities, connections with each other, and their ability to translate well on-screen.
Yes. However, filming took place over months with hundreds of hours of recorded footage, which was distilled down to the episodes you see. So, while everything you see in the series happened, there is more to the experience that could not fit into the series.
In this series, one group of seven Gallaudet students share their journey as young adults. While some students at Gallaudet and elsewhere may have similar experiences, Deaf U in no way represents every Gallaudet student鈥檚 experience.
No, this is not accurate. During Fall 2019, when filming took place, Gallaudet enrolled 54.23% female undergraduate students and 45.77% male undergraduate students.
While there are always different perceptions of reality television, Deaf U is reaching 182 million Netflix subscribers in 190 countries. This show provides an opportunity to raise awareness of deaf and hard of hearing people, their lives, language, and culture, primarily at 杏吧原创. Deaf U provides younger deaf generations with another excellent example of career possibilities in the entertainment industry, both in front of and behind the camera.
  • Deaf U provides younger deaf generations with another excellent example of career possibilities in the entertainment industry, both in front of and behind the camera.
  • Deaf U also provides an opportunity to reinforce Gallaudet鈥檚 bilingual mission and academic offerings and to showcase Gallaudet as a great educational option for deaf and hard of hearing students from all over the world.
  • Finally, Deaf U presents a learning opportunity. It provides a lens for open discussion of important issues, including 鈥渄eaf elitism,鈥� white privilege, race relations, interpersonal relationships, mental health, and language and culture.
We believe we need more narratives like Deaf U that elevate the complex stories of our deaf individuals and communities.
Absolutely! Visit our Undergraduate Admissions website for information on how to apply or even arrange a virtual tour
Visit our There is something for everyone there!
Our ASL Connect resource! With ASL Connect, you can learn the basics of ASL for free and even take Gallaudet ASL and Deaf Studies courses online.
Check back for updates of panel discussions and possible Deaf U events.
Yes, while we have hosted television and film crews in the past, Deaf U is the first series to be filmed on campus.
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