Though they may have received little recognition from the mainstream press, many famous persons throughout history who are deaf or hard-of-hearing have earned accolades and prizes for their abilities. Let's scroll down to the list of famous 6 deaf people.
#1 Russell Harvard
Source: David Gordon / Wikimedia Commons
Russell Harvard, a deaf actor, appeared in the 2007 film There Will Be Blood alongside Daniel Day-Lewis. He's also in the television program Fargo.#2 Katie Leclerc
Source: Jonathan Esquivel / Wikimedia Commons
Katie Leclerc, star of "Veronica Mars," suffers from Ménière's illness, which leads to her hearing loss.#3 Dummy Hoy
Source: Goodwin & Co. / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain
Dummy, the MLB superstar Hoy lost his hearing at the age of three due to meningitis.#4 Jim Kyte
Source: flickr / CC0
Jim Kyte was the NHL's first deaf player.#5 Sean Berdy
Source: Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain
Sean Berdy, a deaf actor, has appeared in The Sandlot 2 and Switched at Birth.#6 Phyllis Frelich
Source: Andrew Kent / Getty Images
Phyllis Frelich, a deaf actress, earned a Tony Award for her performance in the play Children of a Lesser God.#7 Laurent Clerc
Source: Metaweb (FB) / Public domain
Laurent Clerc, a deaf rights activist, established the first deaf school in 1817.#8 Linda Bove
Source: Metaweb (FB) / Fair use
Linda Bove, who played Linda the Librarian on "Sesame Street," exposed toddlers to sign language.#9 Gertrude Ederle
Source: Bain News Service / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain
Gertrude Ederle became deaf after swimming in the English Channel in 1926. She also had poor hearing as a child due to a measles outbreak.#10 Shoshannah Stern
Source: Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0
Shoshannah Stern, star of "Weeds," was born deaf. She is the fourth generation in her family to be deaf.#11 Curtis Pride
Source: Metaweb (FB) / Public domain
Curtis Pride, an MLB player, was born deaf. He is the head baseball coach at Gallaudet University right now.#12 Heather Whitestone
Source: Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0
1995 Miss America Heather Whitestone lost her hearing at the age of 18 months. She was the first deaf lady to be crowned Miss America.#13 Helen Keller
Source: Metaweb (FB) / Public domain
Helen Keller was born with both sight and hearing, but when she was 19 months old, she became blind and deaf due to severe sickness.#14 Ludwig van Beethoven
Source: Metaweb (FB) / Public domain
When Ludwig van Beethoven was 26, he began to lose his hearing. He was almost entirely deaf by the age of 44.#15 Marlee Matlin
Source: Metaweb (FB) / GNU Free Documentation License
Marlee Matlin went deaf at the age of 18 months. She received an Academy Award nomination for her portrayal in Children of a Lesser God.#16 Thomas Edison
Source: Metaweb (FB) / Public domain
Thomas Edison suffered serious hearing issues as a child as a result of scarlet fever. He frequently referred to himself as deaf, and he believed that his hearing loss made him a greater scientist.