Helen Keller was the first deaf-blind person to earn a BA degree, she was a fairly prominent figure of the Women's Suffrage and Labor Rights movements, she's one of the most famous deaf people in living history thanks to her many accomplishments despite that particular shortcoming in her lifetime, helped to found the ACLU... these are just a start, but the list goes on. I hope this is at least enough info to help you start, if nothing else.
