Deaf Protest Movement to Be Discussed April 15

Tim Rarus, division director of visual communications for Communication Services for the Deaf in Austin, will discuss the Deaf President Now (DPN) protest movement during a lecture at Baylor University on April 15. "Deaf President Now, Revisited," the topic of Rarus' lecture, will focus on the history of the Deaf community, its language and culture and its future plans as well as the reason behind the protest.
The DPN protest took place in 1988 at Gallaudet University in Washington D.C. Students at Gallaudet, which is the only liberal arts university in the world for the Deaf, effectively shut down the school to protest the hiring of a hearing president.
"Most hearing people have not heard of the incident, but every member of the Deaf community knows about Gallaudet," said Stacy Crockett, lecturer in communication sciences and disorders.
Rarus, who attended the Arizona School for the Deaf and Blind and is fourth generation Deaf, received his bachelor's degree in government from Gallaudet and was attending the university at the time of the protest.
Rarus' lecture will be in sign language, but there will be two voice interpreters. Sponsored by the department of communication sciences and disorders, the lecture will begin at 1 p.m. in the Barfield Drawing Room of the Bill Daniel Student Center and is open to the public.