Deaf President Now! — Then, Now, and What It Sparked

Mark Ingrassia (Host):

Hello, and welcome to SER: No Parent Left Behind! I’m your host, Mark Ingrassia. With over 35 years in special education—as a teacher, tutor, consultant, and advocate—I’m passionate about helping families navigate the challenges of raising exceptional children, and I’m thrilled to have you here.

nt at Gallaudet University in: 1988

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Now, let’s raise our fists in support—on our way to another win!

,: 2025

I remember watching it all unfold in real time. I was fascinated. I didn’t yet know I’d end up working in Deaf education or that so many of my closest friends would come from the Deaf community. But even then, it just made sense to me—why wouldn’t the president of a Deaf university be Deaf?

As someone who would later step into Deaf education professionally, I came to understand how powerful that moment was. At the school where I spent decades working, I was surprised—despite the movement—that none of the leadership was Deaf. Still, these hearing administrators truly respected the culture and community. They embraced the Bilingual/Bicultural philosophy, acknowledging American Sign Language (ASL) as the first language of the Deaf and English as the second.

It wasn’t perfect, but the effort was sincere. We saw more Deaf staff hired. Cultural events flourished. Nationally known Deaf actors, poets, magicians, and educators visited our school—bringing light and pride to our students. From my view, this was a rebirth—a Cultural Renaissance in Deaf education.

in the U.S. was from the mid-: 1800

The DPN movement in 1988 marked a resurgence. It reminded the world that Deaf people are not broken—they are a proud, linguistic and cultural minority. And it all started with those eight unforgettable days.

When Gallaudet’s board chose a hearing woman, Elizabeth Zinser, over two qualified Deaf candidates, the campus—and the Deaf world—exploded in protest. Students shut down the campus and marched to the Capitol, making four bold demands:

Zinser must resign.

A Deaf president must be appointed.

Jane Spilman, the board chair, must step down.

There must be no reprisals against protesters.

Within days, they got everything they asked for. Dr. I. King Jordan, one of the Deaf finalists, became Gallaudet’s first Deaf president.

It was more than a leadership decision. It was a civil rights victory.

As Nyle DiMarco, Deaf actor and director of the new DPN film, put it:

“The story of Deaf President Now! isn’t just Deaf history—it is American history.”

cans with Disabilities Act in: 1990

After DPN, many Deaf schools began shifting to a Bi-Bi model—Bilingual-Bicultural. In this model, ASL is used for instruction, and English is taught as a second language. It affirmed Deaf identity and opened the door to Deaf leadership, representation, and empowerment.

Some ask: Do Bi-Bi classrooms need two teachers—one for ASL and one for English? The answer is, not always. One fluent teacher can lead a Bi-Bi class, as long as they respect the role of both languages and teach them with intention.

In our school, Deaf mentors and specialists often joined classrooms. We welcomed artists, poets, and actors who reflected our students' identities. It was a thriving, exciting time to be in Deaf education.

But the landscape shifted again with the rise of cochlear implants. Some schools began prioritizing spoken language. In some preschools, sign language was banned entirely. This is a whole episode in itself—and I promise, I’ll cover it soon—but I witnessed how oralism crept back into Deaf education, sometimes quietly, sometimes boldly.

While many children with cochlear implants benefit from sound, others don’t. And if they’re denied access to sign language, they risk language deprivation—something the Deaf community has fought hard to prevent.

Still, I’m heartened to see more hearing people learning ASL today, and the language still very much alive.

Looking back, it’s clear: DPN was a turning point. It launched a cultural and political awakening that still echoes through today’s classrooms, institutions, and communities.

It taught us that representation matters.

That leadership matters.

And that progress happens when communities rise up and say:

We will be seen.

We will be heard.

And we will lead.

Thanks for listening to SER: No Parent Left Behind.