The Center for Deaf Documentary Studies manages the Dr. John S. and Dr. Betty J. Schuchman Deaf History Award for the Office of the Provost. Founded in 2014, the first award was presented during Gallaudet's Sesquicentennial Symposium.

Gallaudet Professor Emeritus of History Dr. John S. Schuchman, and his wife, Dr. Betty J. Schuchman, created the award to encourage research on the lives and experiences of deaf people and their communities. The award may be given to an individual, team, or organization/institution for significant scholarship on the history of deaf people. Research is evaluated on conceptual focus, originality, depth of analysis, and documentation of sources.

the schuchmans - two person standing in image

The Deaf History Award will be given every five years. Recipients will be recognized in a public event and their names added to a plaque hung in a prominent place at the University. The first award was presented in April to Deaf History International in recognition of its groundbreaking transnational work to foster and disseminate research.