May Story Circle w/Myles Murphy!

Myles Murphy

For Myles, leaving his family and home on Bell Island at the age of 6 in pursuit of an education created challenges to overcome as a young child. There were no schools for the Deaf in Newfoundland in the 1950s. Myles attended schools for the Deaf in Montreal, Quebec; Amherst, Nova Scotia; and Torbay, Newfoundland as a teenager. Myles attended Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C. USA Business Administration (the world’s only liberal arts program for students who are Deaf).

Myles’ academic years were spent in Deaf Education institutional systems. Students were not permitted home visits throughout the school years, only returning home for two-month summer breaks. Self-reliance as a child in a challenging environment encouraged resilience and determination to resolve any presented task.

He is a passionate advocate in the preservation of American Sign Language (ASL), Deaf Culture and history, which is a vital link to communication.

Myles thoroughly enjoys storytelling in his first language, ASL. Deaf Culture has many stories untold to our hearing peers. As Deaf children from a different time, we could not engage fully with hearing staff as we were not permitted to sign.

Many stories were shared amongst each other and at bedtime with flashlights for our visual tales, helping us bond in the absence of our families.

While attending Gallaudet, Myles participated in drama and storytelling, which is part of Deaf Culture.

If you are pressed for time, he advises you not to ask a Deaf person a simple yes or no question. You may need a seat to get the “full story.”

Myles is the Executive Director of the Newfoundland & Labrador Association of the Deaf, where he works as an employment facilitator seeking meaningful employment for people who are Deaf. This service seeks to break barriers and to provide guidance, education and communication to potential employers.