"Deaf President Now!" follows the events on the campus of Gallaudet University, the world's first Deaf university, in 1988. The school's board had appointed a hearing president instead of one of the qualified Deaf candidates. Four students organized and held protests, rallies and boycotts and after eight days, the school's president resigned, and the first Deaf president of the university was appointed.
The documentary premiered at the Sundance International Film Festival and also held screenings at South By Southwest.
Deaf advocate Nyle DiMarco co-directed the doc along with Davis Guggenheim. On The Red Carpet spoke to the duo at Sundance.
"To be honest, this is about a civil rights movement that apparently, no hearing people in America have known about. And you know, this wasn't just a protest to get a Deaf president. It spoke so much more about a larger movement," DiMarco said through an interpreter.
"It really was a protest that gave rise to the passage of the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) and landmark legislation in America that protects all of us with disabilities."
"The story has been buried for more than 30 years," Guggenheim added. "If you're a Deaf person it's like Selma. It's your biggest moment of coming up and standing up for your rights. And the fact that it's taken so long to do that and we get to do that today, that's very meaningful."
"Our goal in telling the story is to shine a light on the four leaders who stepped up to the plate and worked in protest to inspire Deaf children out there everywhere to say 'you can,' DiMarco continued.
"Deaf President Now!" is streaming now.