Collection of magazines and newspapers for the deaf

Periodicals for the deaf such as Deaf Life, the Deaf American, and Empire State News document news, events, and culture of the deaf population in the United States. Many of them are published at educational institutions for the deaf. Deaf Life, which makes up a good portion of this collection, has its' roots at National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID).

Matthew Scott Moore, a student majoring in Social Work and minoring in Photography/Film at Rochester Institute of Technology, founded a new independent organization, the Student Communication Center, as a means of giving Deaf students hands-on experience in print and video media. He already had extensive experience with print media, having edited his high-school newspaper, The Reflector, at Indiana School for the Deaf. (And the college’s official publications, written by hearing professionals and printed by an outside company, had no student involvement.) The little collective published a newspaper, Perspectives, and produced a TV show, Sharing, on the Student Communication Network, or SCC-TV, later renamed Student Television Network, which aired after Moore graduated in 1983. He continued working with SCC as Alumnus Advisor.

Moore incorporated his own tiny, independent media company, now called MSM Productions, Ltd., and produced and directed the pilot episode of Deaf Magazine, a half-hour magazine-format show focusing on Deaf issues and personalities. The program was opened-captioned, and featured attractive graphics and original theme music. On June 23, Deaf Magazine aired on primetime on WOKR, Rochester’s local ABC affiliate, and drew unanimously favorable responses.

Moore also envisioned a magazine for the deaf. ASL users have an expression glossed as deaf-life, which literally means “the reality of being deaf.” Moore chose it for the title. The first monthly issue, with a cover story on Dr. I. King Jordan, was published in July 1988. This first monthly issue also debuted the popular Q/A feature “For Hearing People Only.” The first installment was “What is ASL?” What makes DEAF LIFE unique? For one thing, it’s written and produced by Deaf people.