Spotlight
Deaf History Month and Libraries
03.31.26
Even before its founding in 2006, Deaf History Month has always been heavily intertwined with libraries.
In 1997, Alice Hagemeyer – a deaf librarian at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library – created Deaf Awareness Week, which began on March 13th.
This date was chosen for historical significance, as it coincided with the 1988 appointment of Dr. I. King Jordan, the first deaf president of Gallaudet University – the United States’ first and only higher education institution designed for deaf and hard of hearing students.
In 2006, the American Library Association and the National Association of the Deaf expanded upon Hagemeyer’s Deaf History Week, declaring March 13th through April 15th as Deaf History Month – though it was changed to be the full month of April in 2022.
Since its creation, both organizations have advocated for a federal proclamation of Deaf History Month.
Some ways you can celebrate Deaf History Month include:
CENTERING DEAF CREATORS
Through Deaf Eyes
Documentary Streaming Via Kanopy
LEARNING ABOUT DEAF HISTORY
A Life Without Words
Documentary Streaming via Kanopy
LEARNING ASL
American Sign Language (ASL) Made Easy
Streaming Video via Hoopla
