Deaf People Can

Deaf People Can
12 × 12 inches
Oil on canvas
May 2012

Description:
This painting is inspired by the famous statement by I. King Jordan: “Deaf people can do anything except hear.”

While this quote has become an enduring expression of Deaf pride, the painting also reflects the barriers Deaf people continue to face in employment and the workplace. Some employers and businesses hesitate when they anticipate a communication challenge. Believing that communication will take too much time or effort, they may overlook qualified Deaf candidates or choose someone else instead.

In the painting, the phrase “EXCEPT HEAR” is crossed out with the familiar Painter’s Blue Tape, a recurring De’VIA symbol representing audism, oppression, and the barriers imposed on Deaf people. By removing those words, the message becomes simply:

DEAF PEOPLE CAN DO ANYTHING.

The painting challenges assumptions about Deaf people’s abilities and affirms that the greatest barriers are often not deafness itself, but society’s attitudes and low expectations.

This painting belongs to the Resistance category of De’VIA, advocating for equality, opportunity, and the recognition of Deaf people’s abilities.