Presented in collaboration with Penn's ASL Program

Why do we document the lived experiences of Deaf people? How might we learn from a group that has been treated and valued as less than equal to their hearing peers? Through filmed interviews, archival research, and public events, historian Brian Greenwald and Gallaudet University’s Schuchman Deaf Documentary Center examine the physical, cultural, and linguistic human difference of being Deaf in the United States, revealing common histories and diverse perspectives.

Brian H. Greenwald, PhD is professor of History and Director of the Drs. John S. & Betty J. Schuchman Center at Gallaudet University. He is co-editor of two books In Our Own Hands: Essays in Deaf History, 1870-1970 and A Fair Chance in the Race of Life: The Role of Gallaudet University in Deaf History. Dr. Greenwald received a NEH grant to gain an understanding of New York City life through documenting the experiences of Deaf New Yorkers across race, generational, and borough boundaries. Currently, he is studying the intersections of eugenics, medicine, and education at California School for the Deaf during the first third of the twentieth century. He has presented widely on topics in American Deaf history. Most recently, he was recognized as the Distinguished Faculty at Gallaudet University in 2022. He resides in Annapolis, Maryland with his wife Rebecca and two boys.