Deaf and Hard of Hearing Influencers Who Use ASL, Advocate for Accessibility

American Sign Language (ASL) is used by approximately more than half a million people in the U.S. These ASL influencers understand that accessibility and communication are key for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community and work to create fun, entertaining, and educational ASL-enriched content. Others share their lives and achievements, inspiring their followers along the way.

17 deaf and hard-of-hearing influencers sharing their experiences

Ashley Fiolek

Michigan-born Ashley, who is deaf, is a former professional motocross racer and stunt actor. Her athletic achievements include being a four-time AMA women’s motocross national champion. She has 65.9K Instagram followers and loves living life to the fullest, whether that means getting dirty on the off-road race track, hiking with her precious pup, or sharing her top product picks and deals.

Ashley Clark — signedwithheart

Ashley loves teaching others an “easy and fun” approach to learning American Sign Language. She is a mid-tier influencer on Instagram who shares quick lessons for engaging conversationally by demonstrating how to check in with each other, build on vocabulary with fingerspelling, and care for babies using ASL.

Lauren Ridloff

Lauren is a deaf American actress best known for her roles on TV’s “The Walking Dead” and as the deaf superhero “Makkari” in the 2021 movie “Eternals.” This Instagram influencer wows her followers while getting glam for the red carpet, suggesting transcribing tools, and sharing sweet pictures with her husband. She also starred in the 2022 Instagram film “Charlie and the Hunt,” a story about a young deaf girl facing her fears to recover a lost family treasure.

Marlee Matlin

Marlee is an Oscar-award-winning actress, wife, and mom of four. Marlee was the first deaf Academy Award recipient, which she won for Best Actress in 1986’s “Children of a Lesser God.” She stays busy by visiting the White House, sharing her recent accomplishments, and giving fans the scoop on her latest movie news.

Cheyenna Clearbrook

Cheyenna describes herself as “a deaf YouTuber who loves lurking in the creative world.” She is a mid-tier influencer who uses ASL to share her Halloween costume looks, makeup tutorials, and her latest fashion hauls with her followers. Cheyenna also appeared on the 2020 Netflix reality series “Deaf U,” which was the first reality show to focus solely on those who are deaf or hard of hearing.

Fanni Weisz

Fanni is a deaf Hungarian model, author, and influencer. Fanni’s 228K Instagram followers scroll through her posts for more than just glam shots: Fanni promotes her book, shares her favorite hair care products, and posts behind-the-scenes shots from her photoshoots. Fanni also gives a glimpse into her artistic talents and her go-to online grocery shopping tips.

Katie Leclerc

Katie is an actress, producer, and Colorado native. Katie isn’t deaf but has a rare inner-ear condition that can affect a person’s hearing and sense of balance. Katie has appeared on TV’s “Veronica Mars,” “The Big Bang Theory,” and “Switched at Birth.” Her followers are treated to a front-row seat as she spends sweet moments with her adorable adopted dog, takes in a film festival, and promotes her projects featuring ASL.

Jessica Kellgren-Fozard

Jessica is a deaf British influencer. Jessica, whose retro style is a throwback to simpler times, posts about topics like parenting, baking, and home decor. She also posts sign language tutorials and positive affirmations encouraging her subscribers to embrace what makes them unique. She is a mega-influencer on YouTube with 1.15 million subscribers.

Nakia Charmay Smith — itscharmay

Nakia shares her experiences as a deaf mother with a keen sense of humor. She shares and communicates with Black American Sign Language (BASL) on her popular TikTok videos. Nakia is a mid-tier influencer who answers her followers’ most burning questions (like how she knows when her baby’s crying). She starred in the film “Charlie and the Hunt,” which she produced. The film follows a young deaf girl off on a whimsical adventure.

Chrissy Marshall

Chrissy is a deaf writer and director born with a worsening hearing loss that progressed over time. Chrissy has 1.3 million TikTok followers who learn about topics like how deaf people can make TikToks, the importance of respecting those with disabilities, and her inspirational journey growing up with a disability. Chrissy always has a sense of humor while schooling those outside the deaf community on what it’s like.

Scarlet May

In 2020, Scarlet launched her hilarious “Deaf Kardashians” series, in which she reenacted scenes from the famous reality show with “sassy” sign language. Scarlet keeps her 6.6 million TikTok followers entertained and educated by speaking out about the importance of closed captioning on social media. She uses her sense of humor to explain common misconceptions, sings and signs her favorite songs, and lets her followers help choose her outfit of the day.

Rikki Poynter

Rikki is a writer who promotes accessibility, disability awareness, and technology. She is a deaf mid-tier influencer on YouTube who shares helpful information with her subscribers, including tips for scoring free hearing aids, “deaf-friendly” tech tools to make everyday life easier, and an inside look at how deaf and blind people can communicate with one another.

Rise & Sign Therapies

Rise & Sign Therapies does speech therapy for deaf children. They believe that learning letters in American Sign Language (ASL) is fun and increases literacy skills in both ASL and English. They have over 70.5K TikTok followers.

Imthatdeafguy

This creator is a dad who is sharing his knowledge with the world. His content educates people on how to communicate in ASL. There’s a way to say everything you could imagine, and he’s the guy to tell you how.

Elizabeth Harris

Elizabeth is a deaf and hard-of-hearing influencer with a passion for sharing her lifestyle content in a unique way. She connects with her 949.5K TikTok followers by sharing her routines and teaching others how to sign. She also signs her favorite songs.

Chad — King Chaddy

Chad is a deaf Olympian and an advocate for others who are hard of hearing. On TikTok, he shares how deaf people can participate in social media trends and challenges.

Jake — Our Signed World

Jake and his family take to TikTok to showcase their family routines with children. Jake is a deaf influencer who has gained over 964K followers by signing throughout his feed and highlighting how he spends time with his family.