National Deaf History Month is celebrated during the month of April and provides time to recognize the accomplishments of people who are deaf or hard of hearing, and to raise awareness about the deaf community.
The National Association of the Deaf established this observance in 2020. The original dates for the celebration were March 13 to April 15 and were chosen to recognize achievements such as King Jordan becoming the first Deaf President of Gallaudet University on March 13,1988; the founding of Gallaudet University on April 8,1864 and the opening of the American School for the Deaf on April 15, 1817.
Starting in 2026, the celebration of National Deaf History Month is observed from April 1 to April 30 both to simplify the dates and to focus on American Deaf history from all parts of the Deaf Community. The efforts of National Deaf History Month strive to recognize all Deaf People in the United States.