Famous Deaf Women in History Trivia Quiz

Answer: Alice Cogswell

Alice Cogswell was born in 1805 a healthy child. However at age 2 she developed "spotted fever" and lost her hearing. At age 9 she inspired Gallaudet to find a way to communicate and educate the Deaf. Today, a statue of Alice Cogswell stands at Gallaudet University in Hartford, Connecticut in honor of a little girl who helped inspire big things for the Deaf Community.

Answer: Ella Mae Lentz

Lentz was born on May 5, 1954. Both her parents and her brother are also deaf. In 1975, she graduated from Gallaudet with a bachelor's degree in both Drama and English.

Answer: Dr. Jane Fernandes

Dr. Jane Fernandes was born on August 21, 1956. On April 15, 2015 she became the first deaf person in a hearing school, Guilford College. She was also the first woman president of that college.

Answer: Linda Bove

Linda Bove was born November 30, 1945 in New Jersey. Her parents were also deaf. At Gallaudet she majored in Library Science and got her degree in 1968. Interestingly enough, on "Sesame Street" she played Linda the librarian. She was on "Sesame Street" from 1971-2003 which at the time was the longest running role for a deaf person in TV history.

Answer: Marlee Matlin

Marlee Matlin was born on August 24, 1965. In 1987, she was cast as the role of Sarah, for which she won the Oscar for making her at the time one of the youngest actresses to win an Oscar, at age 21. She was also at the time the only deaf actress to win the Academy Award.

Although she is able to speak, she gave her acceptance speech in sign language which had a huge impact on the hearing world regarding the Deaf World.

Answer: Laura C. Redden Searing

Searing was born February 9, 1939. Not only a journalist, she was also a poet. She went by the pen name Howard Glyndon. Interestingly however, in all her works that were published she included her real name in smaller letters.

Answer: Juliette Gordon Low

Juliette Gordon Low was born in 1860 and for several years she was held hostage by the Native Americans. She lost her hearing in one ear after an infection that was treated with silver nitrate when she was 25 years old. Years later she lost all hearing in her other ear when she was at wedding and a lot of rice got stuck in her ear.

Answer: Shelley Beattie

Beattie was born August 24, 1967 and died February 16, 2008 by committing suicide. She was bipolar.

Answer: Julia Brace

Most people think it was Helen Keller because she became so famous. However, Brace was born in 1807. She became deaf and blind at age five as a result of typhus. In 1825 she went to the American School for the Deaf (then it was called the Asylum School for the Deaf).

She learned to use tactile sign language. Indeed Helen Keller acquired a greater education, but she was not the first to be educated.

Answer: Heather Whitestone

Heather Whitestone was born February 24, 1973. She became deaf at a year and a half old due to influenza. She learned to speak years before she learned how to sign. She is known for having a very positive attitude despite her struggles in life.