‘Deaf U’ shows the realities of college students who are hard of hearing

A new documentary series called “Deaf U” follows a group of college students as they deal with dating, friendship, and finding their way in the world. This show takes place at Gallaudet University in Washington D.C., a private college for people who are deaf and hard of hearing. The characters mainly speak in American Sign Language.

One notable exception is Rodney Burford, who has a cochlear implant and acts as a sort of interpreter for the hearing audience. Burford plays football for Gallaudet and describes himself as the “bad boy” of the cast.

“The biggest misconception that hearing people have is that deaf people don’t in fact have a community, and that we don’t have a great culture,” says Nyle DiMarco, Executive Producer of “Deaf U.”