New Netflix docu-series follows deaf students in D.C.
By Kaitlin Sinclair, Staff Writer
The Netflix original series released on Oct.9, “Deaf U” is a Netflix docuseries that follows a group of friends who attend Gallaudet University and are either deaf or hard of hearing. Through eight 20-minute episodes, the audience is exposed to what is like for deaf people navigating relationships, sex and stereotypes.
Gallaudet is located in Washington, D.C. and is historically known for being a school for the deaf. Viewers are able to get a sense of what it is like being a deaf person in a hearing world.
The series consists of Rodney Buford, Cheyenna Clearbrook, Tessa Lewis, Alexa Paulay-Simmons, Renate Rose, Daequan Taylor and Dalton Taylor. Each individual has their own story and it highlights them as they are – people.
An executive producer of “Deaf U” is Nyle DiMarco, an actor and deaf activist. DiMarco went to Gallaudet in the early 2010’s. His day to day experiences made him want to show the public that deaf people are not just their deafness. 50% of the crew who worked on the show are deaf. DiMarco also wanted to show how dating works in the deaf community.
This show displayed the struggle of being a deaf person and struggling to fit into the deaf community.
A group of deaf people known as the “elite” come from deaf families. On the other end there are the lowercase-d (“deaf”) who might not use sign language as much as the elites or did not go to a primary/high school for the deaf.
For people like Rodney and Daequan, it can be hard to be submerged into the deaf culture at Gallaudet. Rodney has a cochlear implant to help him hear. Daequan had a seizure when he was young that resulted in him losing hearing in his left ear. What these two have common is that they do not always sign when having conversation.
Cheyenna Clearbrook, a YouTuber who has 124,000 subscribers, fell victim to the criticism from the elites. Because of her fame, a group of girls would make fun of her YouTube videos and say that she was not “deaf enough” or that she is trying to appeal to the hearing world. For example, in her videos she would mouth words instead of completely relying on ASL (American Sign Language). These comments made Cheyenna feel inadequate, which led to her transferring to Washington State University to finish her degree. After finishing the show, Cheyenna has stated that she is deaf enough and that it is not for others to decide.
This series is a must watch for anyone who is curious to know more about the deaf community.
“Deaf U” is now streaming on Netflix.
