Deaf — U

: A central conflict involves the social hierarchy at Gallaudet, specifically the "Deaf Elite"—students from multi-generational Deaf families who grew up using American Sign Language (ASL)—and those who use hearing aids or cochlear implants and may have learned sign language later in life [21, 34].

The story of Deaf U is a Netflix reality series that offers an "unfiltered and often unexpected" look into the lives of a group of Deaf and hard of hearing students at Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C. [21, 24]. The show, executive produced by Deaf activist and model Nyle DiMarco , aims to showcase the diversity of the Deaf experience and portray Deaf people as multifaceted humans from all walks of life [23, 24]. Core Themes and Narrative Style

: While Gallaudet University allowed filming on its campus in the fall of 2019, the institution had no official role in the creation, casting, or approval of the content [21].