Deaf President Now

Gallaudet University was the site of a student-led protest that today is called Deaf President Now, or simply, DPN. But DPN was more than a protest. It also was a unique coming together of Gallaudet students, faculty and staff with the national deaf community—all bound by clear and defined goals.

From 1864-1988 Gallaudet was ran by hearing Presidents. It was not until 1988 that the students protested to have a Deaf President. There were three candidates for President. Two candidates were Deaf and one was hearing. The hearing candidate was elected president. Her name was Jane Zimmerman, and she had no knowledge of ASL!

The Deaf President Now (DPN) supporters believed that the time had come for a deaf person to run the world's only university for deaf and hard of hearing students. When this didn't happen, the result was a protest whose effects are still reverberating around the world today.

DPN was remarkable not only for its clear sense of purpose, cohesiveness, speed, and depth of feeling, but also for its ability to remove the barriers and erase the lines that previously separated the deaf and hearing communities. In addition, it raised the nation's consciousness of the rights and abilities of deaf and hard of hearing people.

Watch this news clip and comment on your thoughts, reactions, and feeling you have.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ov3c9V1a-E