Rochester has one of the largest Deaf and Hard of Hearing communities per capita in the world, and this website exists to bring everyone together by centralizing events, resources, and opportunities for connection – all in one place.
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About the Rochester Deaf/Hard of Hearing/Deaf-Blind Community
Rochester is home to one of the largest Deaf, Hard of Hearing, Deaf-Blind community per capita anywhere in the world, with an estimated 40,000–60,000 D/HH residents across Monroe County and surrounding areas. This vibrant community thrives thanks to cornerstone institutions such as the Rochester School for the Deaf (est. 1876) and the National Technical Institute for the Deaf (est. 1965) at Rochester Institute of Technology (est. 1829). Their presence has shaped Rochester into a place where Deaf culture is not only present but deeply rooted and celebrated all over town.
Over the decades, countless D/HH/DB organizations have emerged to support education, advocacy, social connection, and community empowerment. Yet with so many groups, platforms, and social media pages, information often became scattered — events overlapped, announcements were missed, and opportunities for connection sometimes slipped through the cracks.
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A Legacy of Connection
Community gathering spaces have always been essential to Rochester’s Deaf history. In 1941, a group of Deaf men founded the Rochester Sphinx Club, which later evolved into the Rochester Recreation Club for the Deaf (RRCD) in 1945. These spaces offered more than recreation — they were hubs for sharing news, resources, and cultural life.
In 2008, Julia Rood recognized the need for a modern, centralized information hub and created deafrochy.com, which served the community for a decade as different groups/organizations formed. Her work demonstrated how powerful a single, unified platform could be.
This new website continues that vision:
To create a centralized, accessible, community-driven hub where all D/HH/DB events, resources, and announcements can live in one place.
It is designed for everyone — Deaf, Hard of Hearing, Deaf-Blind and hearing allies alike. We especially encourage the hearing community to explore, attend events, practice sign language, and support the many projects that strengthen our shared community.
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Gratitude
This project stands on the shoulders of many:
To the D/HH/DB community members who built a rich cultural foundation in Rochester — thank you for making this city home.
To Deaf Women of Rochester, whose support and encouragement helped bring this project to life.
To the many friends (Deaf, Hard of hearing, Deaf-Blind and hearing) who listened, brainstormed, and pushed this idea forward — your encouragement truly mattered, more than you know.
To Israel (israelpc0515@gmail.com) and Amber (amberbb41@gmail.com), two exceptional RIT/NTID students whose skills/knowledge, dedication and creativity during the summer of 2026 built this website into something beautiful.
And to Chris Estrin, whose final push made “someday” become “today.”
This website is built with gratitude, community spirit, and the hope that this shared communication hub will strengthen visibility, reduce information gaps, and deepen connection for everyone.
