For a man without the ability to hear, Nyle DiMarco is making a lot of noise. The 35-year-old model, actor, and advocate for the Deaf and disabled — who you might have seen on TV as the winner of America’s Next Top Model, or walking the runways during men’s fashion week — is about to add “director” to his résumé as he and the Academy Award–-winning Davis Guggenheim unveil their new documentary at this month’s 2025 Sundance Film Festival titled, Deaf President Now! The documentary tells the story of the eight tense days of protest that took place at DiMarco’s alma matter, Gallaudet University, in 1988. A pioneering school for the Deaf and hard of hearing in Washington, D.C., the school faced a reckoning when its board of trustees, tasked with appointing a new university president, chose the sole hearing candidate for the position over other, highly qualified Deaf ones. The ensuing student protests were swift and fierce, demanding a leader who could relate through his their shared disability. As the film recounts, that fight didn’t just end there — two years later, the Gallaudet protests helped lead to the groundbreaking Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990. Earlier this month, DiMarco, a fourth-generation Deaf person who grew up in Maryland and who now spends a lot of time on a plane going between the East and West Coasts, spoke with us about how he got to this moment.

—Andrew Craig

What was it like growing up in an entirely Deaf household?

You might think it would be quiet, but it’s actually the opposite! We don’t always realize the noise we make, whether it’s washing and putting away dishes or doors slamming. If you visit us, you’ll leave with a headache! But, in all seriousness, growing up as a fourth-generation Deaf person was both empowering and grounding.

Fourth generation — so, your parents, their parents, and so on? Is that common?

Right! My parents are both Deaf, my grandparents were Deaf, and so were their parents. My two brothers are both Deaf, too. It’s rare — only 10 percent of Deaf children come from a Deaf family — but it also means I grew up in a world where sign language and Deaf culture were fully embraced.

What about that experience growing up made you want to be an advocate for the disabled now?

My family taught me that being Deaf is not a limitation but a source of identity and pride. I also grew up watching my mom fight tirelessly against my Deaf high school for better Deaf education and for the school to hire Deaf teachers so the students could have access to American Sign Language (ASL). Her activism shaped my understanding of what it means to fight for representation and equality, and that change is always possible When I got older, I learned that only 2 percent of Deaf kids worldwide have access to formal education in sign language. I realized I’d been extremely lucky. It made me determined to do what I could to ensure all Deaf kids, no matter where they are, have access to the education, language, and resources they deserve.

What was it like to learn ASL yourself?

I don’t have a memory of “"learning”" ASL—it was just there, part of my life from the beginning. I was fortunate to grow up in a signing household myself, but my dad didn’t have the same experience. He was raised oral-only, meaning he was forced to lip-read and speak instead of using sign language. More than 75 percent of parents chose not to sign to communicate with their Deaf child, like that. But when my dad finally learned ASL as a teenager, it changed his world. Without it, I can’t imagine how isolating life would be. That’s why I push so hard for access—no Deaf child should have to grow up without language.