Deaf U

Less than a decade after graduating with a degree in mathematics from Gallaudet University, a private college in D.C. for deaf and hard of hearing students, Nyle DiMarco is bringing Deaf U to Netflix. Since receiving his diploma, DiMarco has pursued a life of deaf activism, and he has also taken home the crown from reality shows America’s Next Top Model and Dancing with the Stars. Now, he’s the executive producer on a reality show that aims to highlight all aspects of life at Gallaudet. The show focuses on a tight-knit group of students—Daequan Taylor, Cheyanna Clearbrook, Renate Rose, and Rodney Buford—plus their dates, friends, and classmates. Each student has a different background, and they’ve taken different paths to end up at Gallaudet. For instance, Taylor was born with hearing abilities, but lost them at 6 years old. He shares on Deaf U that it took him two years after admission to Gallaudet to learn American Sign Language. DiMarco has previously said that the point of the show is to prove that deaf people are human—that they experience the same, diverse life as hearing people. And as a reality show, Deaf U also promises to showcase the “highs, lows, and hookups” of college life at Gallaudet, featuring plenty of shots of pre-pandemic life in D.C., bars, restaurants, and trendy neighborhoods included. Deaf U premieres on Netflix on Oct. 9. Free with subscription. —Sarah Smith