Deaf NYC: Apart & Connected

NYC Deaf Life During the Pandemic

How has life changed during this pandemic for New York City’s deaf community? When everyone wears face masks, how does that affect interactions? When is information fully accessible and how can communication be better? Are there signs that are new, or signs that have taken on new meaning? Are there ways that deaf cultural life is uniquely helpful during this time?

On May 12, 2020, deaf residents of NYC shared perspectives, challenges and hopes during a virtual panel discussion on the pandemic. Follow the link below to see the discussion with Roxanna Aguila, Carlos Aponte-Salcedo, Jr., Patrice Creamer, Marina Fanshteyn, and Alexandria Pucciarelli-Miller.

Brianna DiGiovanni, intern in the Drs. John S. & Betty J. Schuchman Deaf Documentary Center at Gallaudet University hosted the panel.

Many thanks to the remarkable panel and moderator as well as the dedicated interpreting, captioning and technology teams!

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The Center’s Deaf NYC project received major funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities (grant ZH-252962-17) and ZVRS/Purple. Additional support came from the Gary S. & Margaret D. Anderson Family Foundation, Kantor Foundation, Hebrew Association of the Deaf, Union League of the Deaf, and numerous individuals.

Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this Deaf NYC project (ZH-252962) do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities. 

About the National Endowment for the Humanities

Created in 1965 as an independent federal agency, the National Endowment for the Humanities supports research and learning in history, literature, philosophy, and other areas of the humanities by funding selected, peer-reviewed proposals from around the nation. Additional information about the National Endowment for the Humanities and its grant programs is available online.