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Transcript/ScriptTV US Deaf Museum – Adams
HEADLINE: Washington Museum Explores Heritage, Experience of Deaf People
TEASER:
PUBLISHED AT: 10/xx/2023 at
BYLINE: Maxim Adams
CONTRIBUTOR:
DATELINE:
VIDEOGRAPHER: Aleksandr Bergan
VIDEO EDITOR: Aleksandr Bergan, Anna Rice
SCRIPT EDITORS: KEnochs; Reifenrath
VIDEO SOURCE (S): VOA News + Agencies TBD
PLATFORMS (mark with X): WEB __ TV __ RADIO __
TRT: 2:32
VID APPROVED BY: KE
TYPE: TVPKG
EDITOR NOTES:
((INTRO))
[[Gallaudet University, a private college for people who are deaf and hard of hearing, is preparing to celebrate its 160th anniversary in 2024. In honor of that occasion, VOA visited the university’s National Deaf Life Museum, which celebrates the culture, heritage and diversity of deaf and hard-of-hearing people. Maxim Adams visited the museum.]]
((NARRATION))
Visitors to the National Deaf Life Museum in Washington can see a vast collection of artwork, writings, articles, photographs, and everyday objects that reflect the culture and heritage of deaf and hard-of-hearing people over many decades. Meredith Peruzzi is the museum's director.
((Meredith Peruzzi, National Deaf Life Museum Director))
“Our mission is to communicate about deaf life, the deaf community, deaf culture, language… And to communicate this information to both deaf and hearing audiences.”
((NARRATION)) ((Aerial view; Mandatory courtesy: Gallaudet University))
The museum is located on the campus of Gallaudet University, – founded in 1864 in Washington. Learning takes place in American Sign Language, or ASL, as well as in English.
One of the largest museum collections is dedicated to Gallaudet University’s history.
((End courtesy))
The museum also has showpieces that visitors who are blind, or blind and deaf, can interact with.
One of the most popular displays features hands that demonstrate ASL gestures. Peruzzi points out another: a unique doorbell.
((Meredith Peruzzi, National Deaf Life Museum Director))
“Before we had electricity, light, doorbells, there had to be some way of knocking on someone’s door, alerting someone in the room that you were there to see them. Originally, we had a very unique type of doorbell, or door-knocker, that instead of creating noise, would create significant vibration…”
((NARRATION))
((Mandatory courtesy: Gallaudet University))
The COVID-19 pandemic made the lives of deaf and hard-of hearing people especially challenging. The extensive use of face masks, for example, made lip reading impossible. Peruzzi says video-conferencing platforms like Zoom and
((End courtesy))
Skype made it harder to use sign language to communicate.
((Meredith Peruzzi, National Deaf Life Museum Director))
“It was a very different experience for the deaf community, and as historians, we realized it really paralleled the 1918 flu pandemic."
((NARRATION))
((Mandatory courtesy: Gallaudet University))
There are currently over 1,500 students at Gallaudet University. U.S. President Abraham Lincoln signed the legislation that made the school a reality nearly 160 years ago.
((Maxim Adams, VOA News, Washington))
((End courtesy))
NewsML Media TopicsArts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
NetworkVOA
Location (dateline)
London
Embargo DateOctober 3, 2023 17:41 EDT
Byline
Henry Ridgwell, VOA News
Brand / Language ServiceVoice of America - English
