Preserving Deaf History Before It Is Lost
Deafinity Media is committed to preserving Deaf history through American Sign Language-first storytelling, interviews, archives, photographs, documents, video, and community memory.
Many Deaf elders carry stories that have never been recorded. Some remember times when signing was discouraged or forbidden. Some remember Deaf clubs, Deaf schools, civil rights movements, community leaders, and moments that shaped Deaf life in America.
These memories are urgent. Once elders pass away, their stories may be lost forever.
What We Preserve
Deafinity Media seeks to document and preserve:
- Deaf elders’ lived experiences
- Deaf school history
- American Sign Language cultural history
- Black Deaf history and Black ASL
- Indigenous Deaf history
- Deaf clubs and community gathering places
- Deaf President Now stories
- Photographs, letters, documents, and archival video
- Family and community memories
Why ASL-First History Matters
Deaf history should not only be written in English. Many stories belong in American Sign Language because ASL carries Deaf expression, emotion, identity, and cultural meaning.
ASL-first documentation allows Deaf people to tell their own stories in their own language.
Local Stories, National History
Deaf history is not only local. Deaf schools, Deaf clubs, ASL, Black Deaf history, Indigenous Deaf history, Deaf President Now, and Deaf community leadership are part of American history.
Deafinity Media is based in Utah, but our Deaf history work can support communities, schools, museums, archives, researchers, filmmakers, and families across the United States.
Our Goal
Our goal is to build accessible Deaf history resources that can support schools, families, researchers, museums, filmmakers, and future generations.
This work is about memory, dignity, language, culture, and survival.