Deaf Activist, Nyle DiMarco, is Taking Over the World

Nyle DiMarco is well known for being a deaf activist. He became widely famous in winning America's Next Top Model Season 22 in (2015) and winning Dancing with the Stars Season 22 in (2016). DiMarco is also an alum of Gallaudet University, the only liberal arts university in the world for the deaf.

Upon winning ANTM, DiMarco went on to have a reoccurring role on the TV series "Switched at Birth" as Garrett. He also appeared on "Difficult People" as Doug. Other television appearances include: "Station 19", "This Close", "What Would You Do," and "Deaf U."

DiMarco also became a creative collaborator on The ASL App - an App created by native deaf signers to teach conversational American Sign Language (ASL). The deaf activist is also an honorary spokesperson for Language Equality and Acquisition for Deaf Kids, also known as (LEAD-K)

Nyle won Dancing with the Stars with partner Peta Murgatroyd on season 22. He even scored the first ten of the season during week five.

The year prior DiMarco took to the modeling stage to win season 22 of ANTM, being only the second male to ever do it and the first deaf contestant. He was scouted on social media without the TV network realizing that the model was deaf. DiMarco then signed with Wilhelmina Models in New York City.

In June of 2016 he walked in Milan Fashion Week, and became Deaf Person of The Year in 2017. DiMarco then made an appearance as the main lead in Dan and Shay's "Tequila['s]" 2018 music video.

Later, in 2016, DiMarco came out with 'The Nyle DiMarco Foundation' - a non-profit organization providing access to resources for deaf children and their families. The foundation speaks on the 70 million deaf individuals worldwide. Only 2% of that number have access to quality education in ASL. Only 25% of parents communicate in ASL to their children. This foundation brings awareness to the resources available to those that need it most.

Dimarco then publicly revealed his support for Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign during the 2016 U.S. election. He openly criticized Donald Trump, after reports surfaced of ableist comments, one directed at deaf actress Marlee Matlin. DiMarco stated, "[T]here are 55 million disabled people living in America. I don't want a president who marginalizes my community."

Now, in 2021, DiMarco is speaking on producing Netflix's "Deaf U" series, his upcoming memoir "Deaf Utopia", and developing a new drama series titled "Deaf Punk."

In "Deaf U" 30% of the crew, 60% of the story department producers, and 30% of the edit team were all Deaf. "There are some things that only the Deaf crew could have picked up on, a nuance of a conversation or a change in mood for example. That allowed us to do a deep dive into a rich and underrepresented world rarely seen" said DiMarco.

DiMarco is still waiting for approval on a "Deaf U" season two, but while he is waiting to hear back DiMarco will begin developing a new drama series "Deaf Punk."

"Deaf Punk" will see DiMarco as the lead, as "the series explores a cultural revolution [that] was supported by the unlikely union of two minority groups.

[The series] is inspired by San Francisco’s famed music venue The Deaf Club, originally founded in the 1930s as a clubhouse for the deaf that would go on to showcase punk bands like The Dead Kennedys, The Offs, The Mutants, and The Thelonious Band after the space was rented nightly in the ’70s by music manager Daphne Hanrahan."

Nyle DiMarco is set to release his memoir "Deaf Utopia" April 5th of 2022. Along with his Memoir, DiMarco has become an executive producer to 'Deaf President Now!" The film revolves around a protest that took place in 1988 at Gallaudet University - the world's only deaf college. DiMarco is also set to star in a comedy he helped develop with Daniel Dad Kim's 3AD Producing.

Finally, the producer is also working on a new drama for NBC titled 'Look At Me.' The series will follow a "multi-generational Deaf family, living under one roof, and their hearing daughter-in law and granddaughter who move in after a change in their circumstances," according to DiMarco's instagram.