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This is a list of deaf firsts noting the first time that a deaf person achieved a given historical feat. This list also includes some deafblind persons.

Academics

Ferdinand Berthier, French deaf educator, intellectual and political organiser, first deaf person to receive the Legion of Honour (1849)^[1]
Helen Keller, American author, disability rights advocate, political activist and lecturer, first deafblind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree (1904)^[2]
Pierre Gorman, Australian librarian, academic and educator of children with disabilities, first deaf person to receive a PhD at Cambridge University (1960).^[3]
Geraldine Lawhorn, American musician, actress and instructor, first deafblind African-American person to earn a college degree (1983)^[4]
Irving King Jordan, American educator, first deaf president of Gallaudet University (1988)^[5]^[6]
Haben Girma, American lawyer and advocate, first deafblind graduate of Harvard Law School (2013).^[7]

Sports

Ed Dundon, American baseball pitcher and first deaf player in MLB (1883-1884)^[8]
Lance Allred, American basketball forward and first legally-deaf NBA player (2008)^[9]^[10]

Actors

Marlee Matlin, American actress, first deaf winner of an Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in Children of a Lesser God (1986)
Troy Kotsur, American actor, first deaf man to win an Academy Award for acting; he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in CODA (2022)^[11]

Other

Henry Winter Syle, American cleric, first deaf person to be ordained a priest in the Episcopal Church in the United States (1883).^[12]^[13]
Wilma Newhoudt-Druchen, South African politician, first deaf female Member of Parliament in the world^[14]
Heather Whitestone, first deaf woman to win the title of Miss America (1995)^{[citation needed]}
Heike Heubach, first deaf Member of the German Bundestag (2024)^[15]

References

^ "Ministère de la culture - Base Léonore". www2.culture.gouv.fr.
^ "Phi Beta Kappa Members" Archived April 7, 2020, at the Wayback Machine. The Phi Beta Kappa Society (PBK.org). Retrieved March 25, 2020.
^ Gregory, Alan (4 October 2006). "'Australia's Helen Keller'". The Age. Retrieved 22 September 2013.
^ "People". Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness. 99. New York: 506–8. August 2005 – via ProQuest.
^ Brueggemann, B. J. (1995). The Coming out of Deaf Culture and American Sign Language: An Exploration into Visual Rhetoric and Literacy. Rhetoric Review, 13, 409-420.
^ Fussman, Cal (1988). The Nonstop Hero. The Washington Post Magazine (December 18, 1988), pp. 20-26, 46-47.
^ "Haben Girma – The Journey from Self-Advocate to Legal Advocate to Educator". American Bar Association. Retrieved April 21, 2017.
^ McKenna, Brian. "Ed Dundon". sabr.org. Retrieved January 30, 2014.
^ "The Lance Allred Story - Part 1: Breaking the legally-deaf barrier in the NBA". July 2, 2020.
^ "Photos: First deaf NBA player shares story overcoming obstacles". Deseret News. March 13, 2018.
^ Barco, Mandalit del (2022-03-27). "CODA's Troy Kotsur is now the first Deaf man to win an Oscar for acting". NPR. Retrieved 2022-03-28.
^ Leslie, Frank; Deems, Charles Force; Thomas De Witt Talmage (25 January 1886). Talmage, Thomas De Witt (ed.). Frank Leslie's Sunday Magazine (PDF). New York, NY: Frank Leslie's Publishing House. p. 434. ISBN 978-1246600933. Retrieved 1 December 2015. The first deaf mute clergyman in the United States was the Rev Henry WL Syle who was ordained deacon by Bishop Stevens of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia in October 1876 and advanced to the priesthood in 1883
^ "Henry Winter Syle". Gallaudet University. Gallaudet University. Retrieved 1 December 2015.
^ "Owners of Mandela 'fake' interpreter firm 'vanish'". BBC News. 12 December 2013. Retrieved 12 December 2013.
^ "German parliament welcomes its first deaf lawmaker". The Independent. 2024-03-21. Retrieved 2024-04-04.

[honneur-1] "Ministère de la culture - Base Léonore". www2.culture.gouv.fr.

[2] "Phi Beta Kappa Members" Archived April 7, 2020, at the Wayback Machine. The Phi Beta Kappa Society (PBK.org). Retrieved March 25, 2020.

[3] Gregory, Alan (4 October 2006). "'Australia's Helen Keller'". The Age. Retrieved 22 September 2013.

[4] "People". Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness. 99. New York: 506–8. August 2005 – via ProQuest.

[5] Brueggemann, B. J. (1995). The Coming out of Deaf Culture and American Sign Language: An Exploration into Visual Rhetoric and Literacy. Rhetoric Review, 13, 409-420.

[6] Fussman, Cal (1988). The Nonstop Hero. The Washington Post Magazine (December 18, 1988), pp. 20-26, 46-47.

[7] "Haben Girma – The Journey from Self-Advocate to Legal Advocate to Educator". American Bar Association. Retrieved April 21, 2017.

[8] McKenna, Brian. "Ed Dundon". sabr.org. Retrieved January 30, 2014.

[9] "The Lance Allred Story - Part 1: Breaking the legally-deaf barrier in the NBA". July 2, 2020.

[10] "Photos: First deaf NBA player shares story overcoming obstacles". Deseret News. March 13, 2018.

[11] Barco, Mandalit del (2022-03-27). "CODA's Troy Kotsur is now the first Deaf man to win an Oscar for acting". NPR. Retrieved 2022-03-28.

[Leslie_1886-12] Leslie, Frank; Deems, Charles Force; Thomas De Witt Talmage (25 January 1886). Talmage, Thomas De Witt (ed.). Frank Leslie's Sunday Magazine (PDF). New York, NY: Frank Leslie's Publishing House. p. 434. ISBN 978-1246600933. Retrieved 1 December 2015. The first deaf mute clergyman in the United States was the Rev Henry WL Syle who was ordained deacon by Bishop Stevens of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia in October 1876 and advanced to the priesthood in 1883

[Gallaudet-13] "Henry Winter Syle". Gallaudet University. Gallaudet University. Retrieved 1 December 2015.

[14] "Owners of Mandela 'fake' interpreter firm 'vanish'". BBC News. 12 December 2013. Retrieved 12 December 2013.

[15] "German parliament welcomes its first deaf lawmaker". The Independent. 2024-03-21. Retrieved 2024-04-04.

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PROFILPELAJAR.COM

List of deaf firsts

Academics

Sports

Actors

Other

See also

References