Deaf Persons Report

Deaf Persons Report

1. Regina Olson Hughes

Regina Olson Hughes was begotten in Herman, Nebraska, on the 1st of February, 1895. She was specialized and had a major in botanical art. She was a scientific illustrator in that field. Her parents were Gilbert and Johanna Olson. They had functional hearing capabilities. Regina was born in perfect conditions, but as she got to 10 years of age, she developed scarlet fever which made her lose her ability of hearing slowly. But when she got to 14 years old, she could not hear anymore. Regina relied on lip reading and writing notes for her to communicate with friends and associates. She, however, continued to speak fluently. She later joined Gallaudet University where she became proficient in sign language. In 1918, Regina received a degree of bachelors in arts and went further to acquire a Masters at around 1920. Regina was married in 1923 by her late husband Fredrick H. Hughes who happened to be her professor in economics, and they lived together for 30years in Gallaudet’s university until 1956 when her husband died. Regina died on the 12th of August, 1993 at the age of 98 years. Her death was due to heart failure (Lang).

Regina was passionate about nature and plants ever since she was young. The parents encouraged this by offering her some private art lessons for her to improve on her skills. After attaining her Master’s degree, she joined the department of state of the united states working as a translator. Regina later moved in the agricultural department to work as a clerk, and then she became an illustrator in botany illustrator. She became famous for her work in botanical illustrations. Her orchid painting has been exhibited in the world’s renowned museum such as the Smithsonian natural history museum, becoming the first deaf person to showcase her art solely at the museum and Gallaudet College. Regina has a lot of publications which contains her pen-and-ink illustrations. Regina contributed six thousand drawings done by her, and she provided descriptions to the art he made.

Throughout her career, she has received several awards and recognition. She received the highest service reward offered by the agriculture department in 1962. Awarded Honorary Degree of Human Letters from Gallaudet College in 1976. She was awarded artist of the year in 1980 by the Chevy chase branch of the national league of American pen women. She also got honoured for having a species of Asteraceae named after her “hughesiareginae”.

2. LeRoy Colombo

LeRoy Colombo was born in Texas, Galveston, as a perfectly healthy baby in 1905 of the 25th of December. He suffered from spinal meningitis when he was seven years old that led to the loss of his hearing abilities and the use of his legs. LeRoy was passionate about swimming, and within a year in this field, he gained the ability to walk again with the help of his two brothers. He attended a school for the deaf in Austin, Texas, breaking several records in swimming while at school. He made his first rescue on his visit to his grandparents at the age of 12. He was married, but they got divorced. He died in 1974 due to health complications. (Andrews)

He was involved in long-distance swimming, and this earned him a job at the beach of Galveston as a lifeguard. He took part in competitive swimming and won a lot of races. In 1972, he completed a 15-mile swim which took him 11 hours to complete. Most participants do not finish the race due to tiredness or muscle pool or other factors. During the race, he dislocated his arm on the 10th mile and continued to swim the rest 8 miles with one hand. He was added to the Guinness world book of record by saving more than 1000 lives and 907 confirmed saves. He was later forced to quit his job at the age of sixty-two when he developed a heart condition. This did not stop him from looking out to people who wanted help in the waters.

The people of Galveston honoured him by erecting a plaque along the sea wall on his honour. He is commonly used as an example to not discriminate against deaf people that they cannot be lifeguards since they cannot hear people calling for him. His greatest achievement was all the lives he had saved during his lifetime career at the waters of Gulf.

My reaction of the two deaf people is impressive. The two had a passion for what they were doing. They did not do it for fame or money, but these followed their accomplishment. They were selfless when it came to their field of expertise. After the retirement of Regina, she voluntarily assisted in botanical training with no pay. After Leroy was laid off, he still assisted people who needed help on the beach. Not many hearing people can offer this act of humanity for free. Their passion and desire to make a better society and help people’s lives, and their determination and selflessness made them achieve many honours and awards, which surely they deserve for their excellent work and art.

Work cited

Andrews, J.F. “LeRoy colombo: the deaf lifeguard of galveston island part I: the early years (1905-1943).” East Texas Historical Journal 48(2) (2010): 9.

Lang, H.G., & Santiago-blay, J.A. “contribution of deaf people to entomology: a hidden legacy.” Terrestrial Arthropod Reviews,5(3-4) (2012): 223-268.