Storytelling

Deaf people are a unique minority group on Earth, using a different modality of language than the vast majority of the world: sign language. From the use of sign language, Deaf people’s social experiences have distinguished them from others around them, with many stories to share. The story of Deaf people has historically been a story not told by Deaf people themselves, a reality that is shifting in the 21st century. The Office of Placemaking builds upon the scholarship, archives, and performing arts that Gallaudet proudly houses to provide multitudes of Deaf experiences across a vast spectrum. With these invaluable sources of cultural experiences across time, projects and spaces educate and inspire visitors. 

The Office of Placemaking intentionally designs projects in which spaces can be sources of storytelling from the Deaf perspective, enlivening formerly marginalized narratives.

• The National Deaf Life Museum presented “We, Native Deaf, Are Still Here!” exhibition in November 2024, alongside the unveiling of the renamed Circle of Signers building (formerly known as Dawes House). Circle of Signers represents the shift away from reinforcing violence against Native Americans by not only renaming the building, but spatially creating paths in where onlookers can learn of Indigenous Deaf people’s success in reclaiming their cultures and histories at Gallaudet. 
• Gallaudet University’s College Hall offers an intentionally designed outlay in which visitors can take in the story of Gallaudet, including the university’s 150th year celebration, past presidents, and Deaf art. 
• Gallaudet’s House 1 holds a story in each room of the campus history, anchoring onlookers to who came before them.