“We have our own culture, our own community. A lot of people don’t realize that. They just assume that deaf people are very unfortunate, very disabled, but no.”
“Own your identity. Love who you are in the world. Love your deafness.”
“I think the biggest misconception is that people think deaf people are not able to do things.”
“My sexiest feature is my body.”
“My passion, personally, is being my true self while inspiring young people who are struggling with their identities to love themselves for who they are.”
“I’m really excited to educate the world about what deaf people can do.”
“I’m fortunate to have blue eyes!”
“My message to my deaf community is that we can redefine anything however we want. Anything is re-definable only if we believe and work hard for it.”
“I am a visual person, given that I am deaf.”
“I grew up with deaf teachers, and I thought all deaf children should have exposure to deaf educators.”
“In middle school, I had the best math teacher I’ve ever had, and he was deaf… and I felt inspired by him. I knew from then on that I wanted to be a math teacher.”
“I was born deaf. Sound never existed in my life, and this is completely normal to me.”
“Right before ‘ANTM,’ I was offered a recurring role for the TV show ‘Switched at Birth.’ I had to pick one because both of the shows were happening at the same time. I couldn’t choose, though, so decided to let my dog Foxy decide. She picked ‘ANTM!’”
“There is research proving that deaf people have increased visual abilities.”
“I feel like I can see the music and can see how the character of the music actually flows. For me, that’s music to my eyes.”
“There are so many deaf kids out there being deprived of their own language.”
“I got my mathematics degree because I wanted to teach deaf children math.”
“I feel the need to reframe our community positively and better deaf youth’s lives, and with the ‘DWTS’ platform, I can – but it’s not enough until I win.”
“When I signed up for ‘Dancing with the Stars,’ I was nervous. If I threw everything off, there are 10-15 million people watching, and that would be a negative viewpoint of deaf people, and I didn’t want that.”
“I would love to work with Mario Testino. I respect all the work he has done and is doing.”
“I am truly humbled. Not only that I am going to be known as the final Top Model but as a final Top Model who is deaf! And that is an amazing tagline. This proves that deaf people can do anything and everything.”
“I am one hundred percent ready to be a spokesperson for the deaf community.”
“I have always aspired to be the type of role model who can bridge the deaf and hearing communities.”
“I never danced growing up.”
“I’ve never wanted to hear.”
“Growing up, I was always involved in the deaf community.”
“If I’d been born into a hearing family and went to a public school, I would have probably felt much more isolated, and being deaf would have become my identity.”
“Since I knew my deaf identity since birth, it wasn’t hard for me to be comfortable, confident, and independent in a hearing world.”
“I love working with photographers.”
“I love it when I surprise photographers that, despite the fact that I am deaf, I am capable of meeting their vision. I love it that I can read their body language and know what they do not like and what they do like.”
“I think being deaf gave me an increased sense of sight.”
“I started to realize that there are a lot of people who are unaware of deaf culture, and I’ve been given a great platform to reframe the deaf community.”
“I want to use my celebrity for good.”
“Right after college, I was trying to figure out what to do. Teach? Act? Model? Do PR for the deaf community? And now I’m doing all I dreamed of and more.”
“I was doing a little modeling on the side. Then ‘ANTM’ found me on social media, and it pretty much flipped my life around, all for the better.”
“It’s one of the reasons I want to do ‘Dancing with the Stars’: it’s a platform to educate.”
“Often in the past, when we have had a deaf person in the spotlight, we have been portrayed badly. It was up to me to change that.”
“I’m fortunate to be a part of the ‘ANTM’ family.”
“American Sign Language requires a lot of facial and body expression.”
“I’m ready to take the world by storm and have them look at me and say, ‘Deaf people can dance.’”
“I think we really do need deaf people out there writing their own shows.”
“A relationship isn’t a priority of mine but, you know, I’m hoping soon enough.”
“Seriously, I don’t find not being able to hear an obstacle or a boundary. For me, and for many of us, it is an advantage, and it’s a part of my identity, in fact. It’s a huge part of who I am.”
“As a sexually fluid deaf man, I know that embracing all our identities is the way to thrive and to overcome the limitations and prejudices that surround us.”
“Am I complaining about my deafness? No, I am not.”
“I work out a lot.”
“We have over 25 deaf individuals in my family.”
“My mom did a great job because ever since I was born, she would put me into any type of sporting activity with hearing teams.”
“I had to live with the models in one big house for two months, 24 hours a day. Only a few of them actually learned how to sign… I couldn’t really communicate with anybody, and I felt isolated.”
“I love to cook breakfast. I am a morning person.”
“I do not like fancy or chain restaurants. I live for local spots.”
“I am the fourth generation of being deaf.”
“I have my own foundation, Nyle DiMarco Foundation, and it focuses on bettering deaf youths’ lives.”
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