Just yesterday, Netflix added ‘Deaf U’ to their streaming service. The show follows deaf college students at Gallaudet University, which is a university in Washington DC specifically for deaf/hard-of-hearing students. The series follows students as they navigate relationships, drama, social media, and dating. Nyle DiMarco, a disability rights activist and starring in the series, said this about the show, “Most of the time when we see deaf characters or deaf personalities in TV shows or film, they’re very one-dimensional. There’s no real nuance to who they are. You don’t really deep dive into their experience; you don’t really see any layers to their character.”

The goal of the series is to “break the mold” and stigma around deaf people. The first season will have more than eight episodes, spanding about twenty minutes each. With “ 466 million [worldwide] who are deaf or have some form of hearing loss – it’s really key that we change the narrative from what we have,” says DiMarco. Amongst the deaf community, this show is appreciated and gained significant popularity. Especially since in the last few years deaf activists have pushed for more inclusion. Such as theaters having subtitles and President Trump including ASL translators during white house health briefings.