TedTest

From the Ted Talk by Nyle DiMarco: Why we need to make education more accessible to the deaf

Unscramble the Blue Letters

I'd like to tell you a story. When I was 24, I found myself living in a small beach town by the name of Naples, fiodlra. I was looking for something new. I was 24. I'm 29 now. And in that small coastal town, I was the only Deaf resident. In fact, the closest deaf proesn was a few hours away by car. And all of the fnerids and acquaintances that I had made could hear. I didn't mind though; I wanted something new. Lucky for me, Naples, Florida is home to some of the U.S. Olympics volleyball team, where they reside and train through the year. So I had a fianatstc opportunity to play with them every day I could. And we'd hit the court all the time, either indoors or out at the beach; it was great. Lucky for them, I happen to be very good at volleyball. So one night after a great game, a friend and I pull up some chairs by the wtaer to wacth the sun go down and chat. And he looks over at me and he asks me a question that cepmletloy blew me away. To be honest, in 24 years of my life, nobody had ever asekd me. And his qutiosen was simple: "Have you ever wished you could hear?" I looked at him for a second and thought, Where did that come from? Then I took a moment and I realized while we had been snititg there, I could see waves cnmiog in and crashing on the becah. He could hear that. Obviously, I couldn't. My entire world is completely silent. To our left, people had taken over the corut and were playing vellylbaol, cheering each other on. To our right, a mother was playing and laughing with her baby. And behind us, cars and ATVs had passed by all day without me even noticing. So, I was qiuck to answer: "No, of course not. I've never wished I could hear. I've never wesihd that because I love who I am." And you may be wondering, How do I love myself as a Deaf man? Well, first, I was born deaf. My deafness shaped my childhood, and it's all I've ever known. So my perspective on life and my experience of the world is very different. My outlook and my life has involved experiences that many of you have never had to encounter as hearing people. My culture, something I ebmody and cherish, has always been Deaf. My perspective on life is completely different. The experiences I've had, something I hold most dear, have taught me to love myself as a Deaf man. To illustrate that point, if I were to walk into a job ieetinvrw with a panel of hearing peers, and if I were to approach that meeting wishing that I could hear, wishing that I could sapek like them, and focusing on that iancalmbe, do you think that I would do very well? Obviously not, right? Because in the back of my mind I'm focusing on the negative, therefore cteianrg a ntgaeive outcome, and I'm certain I wouldn't get that job. But, if instead, I use my difference as an advantage and an asset, I know that as a Deaf man I have so much to offer their company. My erpcieexens growing up are much different from theirs. And knowing that allows me to approach the interview positive. I can go into that meeting and citloedfnny tell them how they will benefit from hiring a Deaf man for a multitude of reasons. And I can walk out with that job because it's all about mindset. So I say first and foremost to love yourself. So as I mentioned, the first reason I love myself is my upbringing. But many of you may not know that I come from a rather large family. I have two brothers who are also Deaf along with my pnrtaes, my grandparents, and yes, even my great-grandparents as well. I'm the fourth generation in a buufiteal family with over 25 Deaf members. Born to Deaf parents who understood the Deaf experience, they knew exactly how to raise me. They knew how to provide me with the best opportunities and to support me. From day one of my existence, my parents gave me language, access to education, and love. Growing up, my life was perfect. Imagine, like many of you born to hearing parents, I never noticed barriers that simply weren't there. I'm sure many of you felt your life was normal, the same way that I did. Coming from a Deaf family, my world, in every way, was a utopia. When it came time for my parents to enlorl me in school, they already knew that I would go to the Deaf school. I would learn in an environment that was designed for me. At that time, all of my peers, and teachers, and even the superintendent was Deaf. So, I was still in my perfect world. I was in an envmnirneot where I could grow and where I could thrive. And I had no problems; it was perfect for me. And many people don't believe that, but it's true. For me, the Deaf community, our world, was the perfect world for me. And I remember in the summer before fifth grdae, I was ready to go back to school, and I asked my mom to go to a public school. She thought I was crazy. She said, "What?! No! Public school, it's all hearing kids. The Deaf school is a perfect fit." And I said, "No, I want to leran what those students are learning. I want to see what their comrolasss are like. What are public school teachers like?" So upon my icetsinnse she enrolled me. And after two wekes of frustration, I came home pleading to go back to the Deaf school. She listened very sympathetically and told me, "Nope, too bad." I was floored. She told me I nedeed to sitck it out for a year because I needed to learn how to interact with my hearing prees, and that if I gave it a little patience, I would learn so much about the world around me. Because the reality is the world is hearing. I was the only Deaf kid in the entire scoohl. Of course, I always had hearing friends, but they could sign like me. So that year I gained a lot of iihsgnt. I couldn't be involved in any of the school organizations. My friends never learned enough sign to communicate. And every time I tried to play a sport, I'd get benched. The basketball cocah told me a Deaf kid could never help the team win a game. And I was aihlttec. So after a year, I went back to the Deaf school where I realized that's my home. That's my community. And my community is where I can thrive. I got inveovld in the classroom again, joined a bunch of school organizations, and got back on the basketball team, where I helped win many games. So it's without hesitation that I can say the Deaf community is in fact my home. After graduating high school, I was aeetpccd into the only Deaf university in the world: Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C. It was there I gained my degree in mathematics with the inotenitn of becoming a better teacher than the ones I had gnowirg up. Like many of you, I sat through some math tcaehers who seriously sucked. (Laughter) I wanted to be a good math teacher. But I also wanted to be a good role model for those students. So as time got closer to graduation, of course I was nervous. I started questioning if I had made the right decision. And I decided to get out - to get out of my comfort zone and to travel the world. Since then, I've been to over 43 countries. And the funny thing about when I treval is that I'm constantly mieteng hearing people who say, "Nyle, you are so bvrae. How do you travel like this? Isn't it hard to be Deaf and travel? It looks ilspsmobie." And let me tell you, traveling as a Deaf person, I think, is actually much easier than traveling for hearing plpeoe. Because sign language is something that gives me access to a much larger world. I'll tell you one of my ftarivoe stiroes. A few yreas ago, I was in south Sicily pnusreig a flea market, when I welakd into a butcher shop, and standing there is an American tusoirt trying to ask the butcher where the meat he was sicilng is sourced from. So the Sicilian man, speaking no English, is gunrietsg, right? And you know Italians gesture. He's trying to eialpxn where the meat comes from, and it's going right over the head of the tourist. So watching this very comical breakdown in conversation, I'm understanding everything prcetefly, so I pull out a ppear and a pen, and I translate what the butcher is saying, and I hand it over to the tourist and explain, "This is what he's trying to tell you." So there I am, the Deaf person translating for two hraineg people. And in that situation, they're the ones disabled, not me. (Laughter) While that story is ironic, it happens so many tmeis when I meet people in other countries. I'm always amazed to meet locals in other centoirus, and their atliiby to geuilttacse and communicate with me, often quite easily. And I would always tell myself to visit the local Deaf schools and to make time to meet Deaf lcloas. But with every new Deaf school that I saw, I was sad to see that their shlocos were in terrible condition, and their education was gatrley lacking. Often, I just couldn't believe my eyes. When I would meet Deaf adults, I relaiezd a common thread very quickly. They either didn't have the same lveel of education I did or their lnugagae was itlocenpme, making it hard to communicate. They'd often cpomlian to me that the system had failed them, and now they struggled to find work. And I kept asking myself, why is this happening, and why is this happening so often? Why am I somehow more fttaunroe? Growing up, I tguhhot every deaf person in the world was like me and had the same ouptioprtines that I did. So in returning to the United States, I dedceid to do some research on the topic. And what I found shocked me. There are currently more than 70 million deaf people in the world with only two percent of them having access to education in sign lugganeas. Which means millions upon millions of deaf children not receiving the education they need, also known as education deprivation. I also learned that over 75 percent of hearing parents don't sign to ccinaumtmoe with their deaf children. Which is astonishing. Again, imagine miillnos and millions of deaf children without an etiodaucn, without a language. Those children without language and access to education exhibit signs of brain damage. In my research, I also found that I'm a part of an even smaller group. Ten percent of Deaf children come from Deaf parents like mine. Only 10 percent. I'm incredibly lucky. I had aeccss to language, an education, and I had parents who loved me and put me on a path to success. I wouldn't be who I am today without any of those things. So it was clear to me that something needed to be done. I got to work in setting up my own foundation - the Nyle dacrmio ftoounidan - with the goal of improving the lives of millions of deaf people around the world. We've since partnered with another Deaf organization in the United staets to introduce legislation - a bill that requires all deaf children have access to language between the ages of zero and five, stnetig up benchmarks for their success. Because before the age of five, children have the ability to acquire a foundation in language, rynidaeg them for the classroom and for a successful life. After the age of five, that critical language acquisition window closes. I'm wnkirog to give every deaf child in the world a future fielld with a rich language and the opportunities I was lucky enough to receive. But the Deaf community cannot do it alone; we need you to become our allies and join us in making the world more knowledgeable. We need you to join us, to fight with us and for us in the oinogng battle of affording cderlhin what they need to thrive. So before I go, I want to teach you two very simple but important sngis. The first is "love." The second, "yourself." Follow me: Love yourself. Brilliant! A-plusses all around! Thank you. (lhuagetr)

Open Cloze

I'd like to tell you a story. When I was 24, I found myself living in a small beach town by the name of Naples, _______. I was looking for something new. I was 24. I'm 29 now. And in that small coastal town, I was the only Deaf resident. In fact, the closest deaf ______ was a few hours away by car. And all of the _______ and acquaintances that I had made could hear. I didn't mind though; I wanted something new. Lucky for me, Naples, Florida is home to some of the U.S. Olympics volleyball team, where they reside and train through the year. So I had a _________ opportunity to play with them every day I could. And we'd hit the court all the time, either indoors or out at the beach; it was great. Lucky for them, I happen to be very good at volleyball. So one night after a great game, a friend and I pull up some chairs by the _____ to _____ the sun go down and chat. And he looks over at me and he asks me a question that __________ blew me away. To be honest, in 24 years of my life, nobody had ever _____ me. And his ________ was simple: "Have you ever wished you could hear?" I looked at him for a second and thought, Where did that come from? Then I took a moment and I realized while we had been _______ there, I could see waves ______ in and crashing on the _____. He could hear that. Obviously, I couldn't. My entire world is completely silent. To our left, people had taken over the _____ and were playing __________, cheering each other on. To our right, a mother was playing and laughing with her baby. And behind us, cars and ATVs had passed by all day without me even noticing. So, I was _____ to answer: "No, of course not. I've never wished I could hear. I've never ______ that because I love who I am." And you may be wondering, How do I love myself as a Deaf man? Well, first, I was born deaf. My deafness shaped my childhood, and it's all I've ever known. So my perspective on life and my experience of the world is very different. My outlook and my life has involved experiences that many of you have never had to encounter as hearing people. My culture, something I ______ and cherish, has always been Deaf. My perspective on life is completely different. The experiences I've had, something I hold most dear, have taught me to love myself as a Deaf man. To illustrate that point, if I were to walk into a job _________ with a panel of hearing peers, and if I were to approach that meeting wishing that I could hear, wishing that I could _____ like them, and focusing on that _________, do you think that I would do very well? Obviously not, right? Because in the back of my mind I'm focusing on the negative, therefore ________ a ________ outcome, and I'm certain I wouldn't get that job. But, if instead, I use my difference as an advantage and an asset, I know that as a Deaf man I have so much to offer their company. My ___________ growing up are much different from theirs. And knowing that allows me to approach the interview positive. I can go into that meeting and ___________ tell them how they will benefit from hiring a Deaf man for a multitude of reasons. And I can walk out with that job because it's all about mindset. So I say first and foremost to love yourself. So as I mentioned, the first reason I love myself is my upbringing. But many of you may not know that I come from a rather large family. I have two brothers who are also Deaf along with my _______, my grandparents, and yes, even my great-grandparents as well. I'm the fourth generation in a _________ family with over 25 Deaf members. Born to Deaf parents who understood the Deaf experience, they knew exactly how to raise me. They knew how to provide me with the best opportunities and to support me. From day one of my existence, my parents gave me language, access to education, and love. Growing up, my life was perfect. Imagine, like many of you born to hearing parents, I never noticed barriers that simply weren't there. I'm sure many of you felt your life was normal, the same way that I did. Coming from a Deaf family, my world, in every way, was a utopia. When it came time for my parents to ______ me in school, they already knew that I would go to the Deaf school. I would learn in an environment that was designed for me. At that time, all of my peers, and teachers, and even the superintendent was Deaf. So, I was still in my perfect world. I was in an ___________ where I could grow and where I could thrive. And I had no problems; it was perfect for me. And many people don't believe that, but it's true. For me, the Deaf community, our world, was the perfect world for me. And I remember in the summer before fifth _____, I was ready to go back to school, and I asked my mom to go to a public school. She thought I was crazy. She said, "What?! No! Public school, it's all hearing kids. The Deaf school is a perfect fit." And I said, "No, I want to _____ what those students are learning. I want to see what their __________ are like. What are public school teachers like?" So upon my __________ she enrolled me. And after two _____ of frustration, I came home pleading to go back to the Deaf school. She listened very sympathetically and told me, "Nope, too bad." I was floored. She told me I ______ to _____ it out for a year because I needed to learn how to interact with my hearing _____, and that if I gave it a little patience, I would learn so much about the world around me. Because the reality is the world is hearing. I was the only Deaf kid in the entire ______. Of course, I always had hearing friends, but they could sign like me. So that year I gained a lot of _______. I couldn't be involved in any of the school organizations. My friends never learned enough sign to communicate. And every time I tried to play a sport, I'd get benched. The basketball _____ told me a Deaf kid could never help the team win a game. And I was ________. So after a year, I went back to the Deaf school where I realized that's my home. That's my community. And my community is where I can thrive. I got ________ in the classroom again, joined a bunch of school organizations, and got back on the basketball team, where I helped win many games. So it's without hesitation that I can say the Deaf community is in fact my home. After graduating high school, I was ________ into the only Deaf university in the world: Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C. It was there I gained my degree in mathematics with the _________ of becoming a better teacher than the ones I had _______ up. Like many of you, I sat through some math ________ who seriously sucked. (Laughter) I wanted to be a good math teacher. But I also wanted to be a good role model for those students. So as time got closer to graduation, of course I was nervous. I started questioning if I had made the right decision. And I decided to get out - to get out of my comfort zone and to travel the world. Since then, I've been to over 43 countries. And the funny thing about when I ______ is that I'm constantly _______ hearing people who say, "Nyle, you are so _____. How do you travel like this? Isn't it hard to be Deaf and travel? It looks __________." And let me tell you, traveling as a Deaf person, I think, is actually much easier than traveling for hearing ______. Because sign language is something that gives me access to a much larger world. I'll tell you one of my ________ _______. A few _____ ago, I was in south Sicily ________ a flea market, when I ______ into a butcher shop, and standing there is an American _______ trying to ask the butcher where the meat he was _______ is sourced from. So the Sicilian man, speaking no English, is _________, right? And you know Italians gesture. He's trying to _______ where the meat comes from, and it's going right over the head of the tourist. So watching this very comical breakdown in conversation, I'm understanding everything _________, so I pull out a _____ and a pen, and I translate what the butcher is saying, and I hand it over to the tourist and explain, "This is what he's trying to tell you." So there I am, the Deaf person translating for two _______ people. And in that situation, they're the ones disabled, not me. (Laughter) While that story is ironic, it happens so many _____ when I meet people in other countries. I'm always amazed to meet locals in other _________, and their _______ to ___________ and communicate with me, often quite easily. And I would always tell myself to visit the local Deaf schools and to make time to meet Deaf ______. But with every new Deaf school that I saw, I was sad to see that their _______ were in terrible condition, and their education was _______ lacking. Often, I just couldn't believe my eyes. When I would meet Deaf adults, I ________ a common thread very quickly. They either didn't have the same _____ of education I did or their ________ was __________, making it hard to communicate. They'd often ________ to me that the system had failed them, and now they struggled to find work. And I kept asking myself, why is this happening, and why is this happening so often? Why am I somehow more _________? Growing up, I _______ every deaf person in the world was like me and had the same _____________ that I did. So in returning to the United States, I _______ to do some research on the topic. And what I found shocked me. There are currently more than 70 million deaf people in the world with only two percent of them having access to education in sign _________. Which means millions upon millions of deaf children not receiving the education they need, also known as education deprivation. I also learned that over 75 percent of hearing parents don't sign to ___________ with their deaf children. Which is astonishing. Again, imagine ________ and millions of deaf children without an _________, without a language. Those children without language and access to education exhibit signs of brain damage. In my research, I also found that I'm a part of an even smaller group. Ten percent of Deaf children come from Deaf parents like mine. Only 10 percent. I'm incredibly lucky. I had ______ to language, an education, and I had parents who loved me and put me on a path to success. I wouldn't be who I am today without any of those things. So it was clear to me that something needed to be done. I got to work in setting up my own foundation - the Nyle _______ __________ - with the goal of improving the lives of millions of deaf people around the world. We've since partnered with another Deaf organization in the United ______ to introduce legislation - a bill that requires all deaf children have access to language between the ages of zero and five, _______ up benchmarks for their success. Because before the age of five, children have the ability to acquire a foundation in language, ________ them for the classroom and for a successful life. After the age of five, that critical language acquisition window closes. I'm _______ to give every deaf child in the world a future ______ with a rich language and the opportunities I was lucky enough to receive. But the Deaf community cannot do it alone; we need you to become our allies and join us in making the world more knowledgeable. We need you to join us, to fight with us and for us in the _______ battle of affording ________ what they need to thrive. So before I go, I want to teach you two very simple but important _____. The first is "love." The second, "yourself." Follow me: Love yourself. Brilliant! A-plusses all around! Thank you. (________)

Solution

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Original Text

I'd like to tell you a story. When I was 24, I found myself living in a small beach town by the name of Naples, Florida. I was looking for something new. I was 24. I'm 29 now. And in that small coastal town, I was the only Deaf resident. In fact, the closest deaf person was a few hours away by car. And all of the friends and acquaintances that I had made could hear. I didn't mind though; I wanted something new. Lucky for me, Naples, Florida is home to some of the U.S. Olympics volleyball team, where they reside and train through the year. So I had a fantastic opportunity to play with them every day I could. And we'd hit the court all the time, either indoors or out at the beach; it was great. Lucky for them, I happen to be very good at volleyball. So one night after a great game, a friend and I pull up some chairs by the water to watch the sun go down and chat. And he looks over at me and he asks me a question that completely blew me away. To be honest, in 24 years of my life, nobody had ever asked me. And his question was simple: "Have you ever wished you could hear?" I looked at him for a second and thought, Where did that come from? Then I took a moment and I realized while we had been sitting there, I could see waves coming in and crashing on the beach. He could hear that. Obviously, I couldn't. My entire world is completely silent. To our left, people had taken over the court and were playing volleyball, cheering each other on. To our right, a mother was playing and laughing with her baby. And behind us, cars and ATVs had passed by all day without me even noticing. So, I was quick to answer: "No, of course not. I've never wished I could hear. I've never wished that because I love who I am." And you may be wondering, How do I love myself as a Deaf man? Well, first, I was born deaf. My deafness shaped my childhood, and it's all I've ever known. So my perspective on life and my experience of the world is very different. My outlook and my life has involved experiences that many of you have never had to encounter as hearing people. My culture, something I embody and cherish, has always been Deaf. My perspective on life is completely different. The experiences I've had, something I hold most dear, have taught me to love myself as a Deaf man. To illustrate that point, if I were to walk into a job interview with a panel of hearing peers, and if I were to approach that meeting wishing that I could hear, wishing that I could speak like them, and focusing on that imbalance, do you think that I would do very well? Obviously not, right? Because in the back of my mind I'm focusing on the negative, therefore creating a negative outcome, and I'm certain I wouldn't get that job. But, if instead, I use my difference as an advantage and an asset, I know that as a Deaf man I have so much to offer their company. My experiences growing up are much different from theirs. And knowing that allows me to approach the interview positive. I can go into that meeting and confidently tell them how they will benefit from hiring a Deaf man for a multitude of reasons. And I can walk out with that job because it's all about mindset. So I say first and foremost to love yourself. So as I mentioned, the first reason I love myself is my upbringing. But many of you may not know that I come from a rather large family. I have two brothers who are also Deaf along with my parents, my grandparents, and yes, even my great-grandparents as well. I'm the fourth generation in a beautiful family with over 25 Deaf members. Born to Deaf parents who understood the Deaf experience, they knew exactly how to raise me. They knew how to provide me with the best opportunities and to support me. From day one of my existence, my parents gave me language, access to education, and love. Growing up, my life was perfect. Imagine, like many of you born to hearing parents, I never noticed barriers that simply weren't there. I'm sure many of you felt your life was normal, the same way that I did. Coming from a Deaf family, my world, in every way, was a utopia. When it came time for my parents to enroll me in school, they already knew that I would go to the Deaf school. I would learn in an environment that was designed for me. At that time, all of my peers, and teachers, and even the superintendent was Deaf. So, I was still in my perfect world. I was in an environment where I could grow and where I could thrive. And I had no problems; it was perfect for me. And many people don't believe that, but it's true. For me, the Deaf community, our world, was the perfect world for me. And I remember in the summer before fifth grade, I was ready to go back to school, and I asked my mom to go to a public school. She thought I was crazy. She said, "What?! No! Public school, it's all hearing kids. The Deaf school is a perfect fit." And I said, "No, I want to learn what those students are learning. I want to see what their classrooms are like. What are public school teachers like?" So upon my insistence she enrolled me. And after two weeks of frustration, I came home pleading to go back to the Deaf school. She listened very sympathetically and told me, "Nope, too bad." I was floored. She told me I needed to stick it out for a year because I needed to learn how to interact with my hearing peers, and that if I gave it a little patience, I would learn so much about the world around me. Because the reality is the world is hearing. I was the only Deaf kid in the entire school. Of course, I always had hearing friends, but they could sign like me. So that year I gained a lot of insight. I couldn't be involved in any of the school organizations. My friends never learned enough sign to communicate. And every time I tried to play a sport, I'd get benched. The basketball coach told me a Deaf kid could never help the team win a game. And I was athletic. So after a year, I went back to the Deaf school where I realized that's my home. That's my community. And my community is where I can thrive. I got involved in the classroom again, joined a bunch of school organizations, and got back on the basketball team, where I helped win many games. So it's without hesitation that I can say the Deaf community is in fact my home. After graduating high school, I was accepted into the only Deaf university in the world: Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C. It was there I gained my degree in mathematics with the intention of becoming a better teacher than the ones I had growing up. Like many of you, I sat through some math teachers who seriously sucked. (Laughter) I wanted to be a good math teacher. But I also wanted to be a good role model for those students. So as time got closer to graduation, of course I was nervous. I started questioning if I had made the right decision. And I decided to get out - to get out of my comfort zone and to travel the world. Since then, I've been to over 43 countries. And the funny thing about when I travel is that I'm constantly meeting hearing people who say, "Nyle, you are so brave. How do you travel like this? Isn't it hard to be Deaf and travel? It looks impossible." And let me tell you, traveling as a Deaf person, I think, is actually much easier than traveling for hearing people. Because sign language is something that gives me access to a much larger world. I'll tell you one of my favorite stories. A few years ago, I was in south Sicily perusing a flea market, when I walked into a butcher shop, and standing there is an American tourist trying to ask the butcher where the meat he was slicing is sourced from. So the Sicilian man, speaking no English, is gesturing, right? And you know Italians gesture. He's trying to explain where the meat comes from, and it's going right over the head of the tourist. So watching this very comical breakdown in conversation, I'm understanding everything perfectly, so I pull out a paper and a pen, and I translate what the butcher is saying, and I hand it over to the tourist and explain, "This is what he's trying to tell you." So there I am, the Deaf person translating for two hearing people. And in that situation, they're the ones disabled, not me. (Laughter) While that story is ironic, it happens so many times when I meet people in other countries. I'm always amazed to meet locals in other countries, and their ability to gesticulate and communicate with me, often quite easily. And I would always tell myself to visit the local Deaf schools and to make time to meet Deaf locals. But with every new Deaf school that I saw, I was sad to see that their schools were in terrible condition, and their education was greatly lacking. Often, I just couldn't believe my eyes. When I would meet Deaf adults, I realized a common thread very quickly. They either didn't have the same level of education I did or their language was incomplete, making it hard to communicate. They'd often complain to me that the system had failed them, and now they struggled to find work. And I kept asking myself, why is this happening, and why is this happening so often? Why am I somehow more fortunate? Growing up, I thought every deaf person in the world was like me and had the same opportunities that I did. So in returning to the United States, I decided to do some research on the topic. And what I found shocked me. There are currently more than 70 million deaf people in the world with only two percent of them having access to education in sign languages. Which means millions upon millions of deaf children not receiving the education they need, also known as education deprivation. I also learned that over 75 percent of hearing parents don't sign to communicate with their deaf children. Which is astonishing. Again, imagine millions and millions of deaf children without an education, without a language. Those children without language and access to education exhibit signs of brain damage. In my research, I also found that I'm a part of an even smaller group. Ten percent of Deaf children come from Deaf parents like mine. Only 10 percent. I'm incredibly lucky. I had access to language, an education, and I had parents who loved me and put me on a path to success. I wouldn't be who I am today without any of those things. So it was clear to me that something needed to be done. I got to work in setting up my own foundation - the Nyle DiMarco Foundation - with the goal of improving the lives of millions of deaf people around the world. We've since partnered with another Deaf organization in the United States to introduce legislation - a bill that requires all deaf children have access to language between the ages of zero and five, setting up benchmarks for their success. Because before the age of five, children have the ability to acquire a foundation in language, readying them for the classroom and for a successful life. After the age of five, that critical language acquisition window closes. I'm working to give every deaf child in the world a future filled with a rich language and the opportunities I was lucky enough to receive. But the Deaf community cannot do it alone; we need you to become our allies and join us in making the world more knowledgeable. We need you to join us, to fight with us and for us in the ongoing battle of affording children what they need to thrive. So before I go, I want to teach you two very simple but important signs. The first is "love." The second, "yourself." Follow me: Love yourself. Brilliant! A-plusses all around! Thank you. (Laughter)

Frequently Occurring Word Combinations

ngrams of length 2

collocation	frequency
deaf school	5
deaf children	5
hearing people	4
deaf person	3
deaf man	3
deaf parents	2
perfect world	2
public school	2
deaf kid	2
deaf community	2
meet deaf	2
deaf people	2

Important Words

ability
accepted
access
acquaintances
acquire
acquisition
adults
advantage
affording
age
ages
allies
amazed
american
approach
asked
asks
asset
astonishing
athletic
atvs
baby
bad
barriers
basketball
battle
beach
beautiful
benched
benchmarks
benefit
bill
blew
born
brain
brave
breakdown
brothers
bunch
butcher
car
cars
chairs
chat
cheering
cherish
child
childhood
children
classroom
classrooms
clear
closer
closes
closest
coach
coastal
comfort
comical
coming
common
communicate
community
company
complain
completely
condition
confidently
constantly
conversation
countries
court
crashing
crazy
creating
critical
culture
damage
day
deaf
deafness
dear
decided
decision
degree
deprivation
designed
difference
dimarco
disabled
easier
easily
education
embody
encounter
english
enroll
enrolled
entire
environment
exhibit
existence
experience
experiences
explain
eyes
fact
failed
family
fantastic
favorite
felt
fight
filled
find
fit
flea
floored
florida
focusing
follow
foremost
fortunate
foundation
fourth
friend
friends
frustration
funny
future
gained
gallaudet
game
games
gave
generation
gesticulate
gesture
gesturing
give
goal
good
grade
graduating
graduation
grandparents
great
greatly
group
grow
growing
hand
happen
happening
hard
head
hear
hearing
helped
hesitation
high
hiring
hit
hold
home
honest
hours
illustrate
imagine
imbalance
important
impossible
improving
incomplete
incredibly
indoors
insight
insistence
intention
interact
interview
introduce
involved
ironic
italians
job
join
joined
kid
kids
knew
knowing
knowledgeable
lacking
language
languages
large
larger
laughing
laughter
learn
learned
learning
left
legislation
level
life
listened
lives
living
local
locals
looked
lot
love
loved
lucky
making
man
market
math
mathematics
means
meat
meet
meeting
members
mentioned
million
millions
mind
mindset
model
mom
moment
mother
multitude
naples
needed
negative
nervous
night
normal
noticed
noticing
nyle
offer
olympics
ongoing
opportunities
opportunity
organization
organizations
outcome
outlook
panel
paper
parents
part
partnered
passed
path
patience
peers
pen
people
percent
perfect
perfectly
person
perspective
perusing
play
playing
pleading
point
positive
provide
public
pull
put
question
questioning
quick
quickly
raise
ready
readying
reality
realized
reason
reasons
receive
receiving
remember
requires
research
reside
resident
returning
rich
role
sad
sat
school
schools
setting
shaped
shocked
shop
sicilian
sicily
sign
signs
silent
simple
simply
sitting
situation
slicing
small
smaller
sourced
south
speak
speaking
sport
standing
started
states
stick
stories
story
struggled
students
success
successful
sucked
summer
sun
superintendent
support
sympathetically
system
taught
teach
teacher
teachers
team
ten
terrible
thought
thread
thrive
time
times
today
told
topic
tourist
town
train
translate
translating
travel
traveling
true
understanding
understood
united
university
upbringing
utopia
visit
volleyball
walk
walked
wanted
washington
watch
watching
water
waves
weeks
win
window
wished
wishing
wondering
work
working
world
year
years
zone