My boy did it.
He won Dancing with the Stars.
I first met (saw) Nyle on Switched at Birth last season in a supporting role. Somehow, my mom had known of him and pointed him out to me when he made his appearance.
Then, he took America by storm on Tyra Banks' America's Next Top Model, bringing tons of awareness to the Deaf community.
And then, he won season 22 of Dancing with the Stars and captured all of America's hearts.
(I mean, look at him. It's hard not to)
Though Nyle's appearances are great in their own right, they serve a bigger purpose, intentionally or not.
While they boost his career, all of his appearances bring attention to and defy all stereotypes of the Deaf.
They're deaf. They can't be an actor.
They're deaf. They can't model.
They're deaf. They can't dance.
They're deaf. They can't insert verb here.
You are so wrong. SO wrong. Just because they're deaf, it doesn't mean they are incapacitated and incapable. They are able bodied. They are intelligent. They are kind. They are still people.
Go you, Nyle, for defying all stereotypes and proving that the Deaf are just as capable as anyone else.
-Lauren
