Video bridges gap between hearing and deaf worlds

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Morgan Nimmo

HIGHLAND, TOWNSHIP, Michigan – At the tender age of 7, Morgan Nimmo is already doing remarkable things with her life, and making a big difference in the lives of others.

Morgan was among several young people from southeast Michigan, Ontario and Indiana asked to appear in a Deaf Professional Arts Network (D-PAN) video featuring music by the internationally known group, the White Stripes.

Founded by Sean Forbes, D-PAN is dedicated to promoting professional development and access to the entertainment, visual and medial arts fields for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing.

“Morgan met Sean when she auditioned for an earlier video that he was making,” Morgan’s mom, Lori Nimmo said. “When the opportunity to make this most recent video arose, Sean reached out to a number of students he had met through other projects.”

Filmed to song, “We are going to be friends,” the video was made at Model High School (formerly Hickory Grove Elementary School in Bloomfield Hills) over the course of two days last summer.

“Our hope and prayer for Morgan have always been that she would be instrumental in bridging the gap between the hearing and deaf worlds,” Nimmo said. “Most of the hearing world does not understand the deaf community and fails, many times, to realize that they are just like everyone else in the community in any corner of the world – they just don’t hear.”

Bringing an awareness to the hearing world that there are forms of entertainment and learning that are universal and not dependent upon someone’s ability to hear, Nimmo says, is the unmistakable message.

“We think this message of inclusion can knock down walls and change hearts, whether you are talking about non-hearing or any other characteristic that makes a person ‘different,’” Nimmo said. “Joy, laughter, acceptance and love are universal, regardless of how ‘special’ God made you.”

As a parent, Nimmo couldn’t be more proud. “We are proud of our daughter’s ability to touch others in a special way, through whatever gifts God give her,” she said. “All of the students  involved in this experience both gave and received something special,” she added. “We know that Morgan’s confidence soared, and I suspect the other students in the project gained confidence as well.”

Visit the D-PAN website for more information on the organization.

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