Kat Brockway, ’93, writes second book for "Images of America" series

Kat Brockway, ’93, author of Baltimore’s Deaf Heritage, released June 2014, has written a second book, Detroit’s Deaf Heritage, which was released June 20, 2016. Both are part of the Images of America series, books that focus on America’s regional histories.

Her second book honors the 100th anniversary of the Detroit Association of the Deaf, which will be celebrated in October.

Over 20,000 authors have contributed to the series published by Arcadia Publishing. Brockway, the first deaf author published by Arcadia, aims to partner with other city- or state-based deaf clubs and organizations, and eventually create a “Deaf Heritage” collection. She has other projects lined up, including a children’s book about a “Deaf hero.”

“My specialization is to search for more recognized deaf individuals, organizations, and places that we may never hear of,” said Brockway. “Searching for those is a challenge I enjoy very much. I love to share surprise findings or stories. Comparative cultural studies on Deaf Culture and history in several areas show we can do anything except hear!”

Brockway has also created a presentation, titled Wakening the Deaf Culture & Bring the Values Back into the Deaf Community.

Since the spring of 2014, Brockway has chaired the Deaf Culture and History section for the National Association of the Deaf (NAD). She will be inducted into the National Disability Mentoring Coalition’s (NDMC) Susan Daniels Disability Mentoring Hall of Fame and will accept the award at the ADA Celebration event in Washington, D.C. on July 13, 2016. Gallaudet President Emeritus I. King Jordan, ’70, received this award last year.

She lives on the east coast and works as a self-employed writer, presenter, and researcher while volunteering full-time with NAD.

Both Baltimore’s Deaf Heritage and Detroit’s Deaf Heritage books are sold at the Gallaudet University bookstore.