Highlighting the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Community on TikTok

At TikTok, we are constantly inspired by the strong and diverse communities that are forming and connecting on our platform. In particular, we want to highlight the deaf and hard of hearing community during Deaf Awareness Month in September. We are proud to introduce three creators who are making a positive impact and sharing their unique perspectives.

Bree Jones

Bree Jones (@bree.k.jones) is an ASL interpreter, producer, and writer. She is passionate about educating the hearing world about the culture and language of the deaf community. Bree envisions a world where the deaf and hearing communities are intertwined, making accessibility second nature for society.

Scarlet May

Scarlet May (@scarlet_may.1) is a 20-year-old deaf creator. Her TikTok videos range from comedy to educating about the deaf community and ASL covers. With over 4.4 million followers, Scarlet has opened many people's eyes to the importance of accessibility, leading to more captioned videos on the platform. She is proud to contribute to positive change and raise awareness.

Otis Jones

Otis Jones (@slntwrlddd) is a creator from Atlanta, Georgia. He wears a Cochlear implant and a hearing aid and combines music with ASL in his performances. Otis teaches ASL classes in his free time and advocates for hearing people to learn ASL with respect and courtesy for the deaf community.

To make content more accessible, these creators offer some tips. Bree emphasizes the importance of editing auto captions to ensure accuracy. Scarlet suggests using the auto captions feature and typing out captions manually if necessary. Otis encourages creators to use auto captions to reach a wider audience and always spotlight deaf creators when discussing the deaf community's culture.

For those interested in learning ASL or BASL, Bree recommends researching the rich history of BASL and taking ASL classes at local community colleges. She also suggests following deaf creators on TikTok and joining deaf events to immerse oneself in the deaf community. Scarlet advises not to give up and to socialize with the deaf community for faster learning and making friends. Otis suggests exposing oneself to a deaf environment to learn the language, slang, and appreciate the diversity in signing styles. He also recommends learning from deaf individuals who understand the culture and struggles of being deaf.

Inclusivity is important to us at TikTok, and we encourage all creators to add auto captions to their videos for a more enjoyable experience for everyone. By selecting the auto captions feature during editing, the text will be automatically transcribed and displayed on the content.

We stand with our diverse communities, including our deaf and hard of hearing users. Follow @bree.k.jones, @scarlet_may.1, and @slntwrlddd on TikTok to be inspired by their impactful content.