Dorothy "Dot" Miles was a Welsh poet and activist in the Deaf community.
22 Facts About Dorothy Miles
1.
2.
Dorothy Miles's work laid the foundations for modern sign language poetry in the United States and the United Kingdom.
3.
Dorothy Miles is regarded as the pioneer of BSL poetry and her work influenced many contemporary deaf poets.
4.
Dorothy Miles joined the National Theatre of the Deaf in the US near the time of its founding in 1967.
5.
Dorothy Miles later returned to the United Kingdom, where she became a key member of the British Deaf Community.
6.
In 1993, Miles died by suicide, falling from a second-floor window.
7.
Dorothy Miles was born 19 August 1931 in Holywell, Flintshire, North Wales, daughter of James and Amy Squire.
8.
Dorothy Miles was educated at the Royal School for the Deaf and the Mary Hare School.
9.
Dorothy Miles married a fellow student, Robert Thomas Miles, in September 1958.
10.
Dorothy Miles graduated in 1961 receiving a BA with distinction.
11.
Dorothy Miles worked in the United States as a teacher and counsellor for deaf adults.
12.
Dorothy Miles worked with NTD's Little Theatre of the Deaf, which produced shows for children and teenagers.
13.
Dorothy Miles graduated from Connecticut College with a master's degree in 1974; her thesis was titled "A History of Theatre Activities in the Deaf Community of the US".
14.
In 1975, Dorothy Miles left the NTD to work with the campus service for the deaf at California State University, Northridge.
15.
Dorothy Miles returned to live in England in the autumn of 1977, after twenty years in the United States.
16.
Dorothy Miles was involved in the National Union of the Deaf's pioneering television programme Open Door and was involved in discussions that led to the See Hear television series.
17.
Dorothy Miles took work with the British Deaf Association, working on various projects.
18.
Dorothy Miles compiled the first teaching manual for BSL tutors and became involved in setting up the Council for the Advancement of Communication with Deaf People.
19.
Dorothy Miles died on 30 January 1993 when she fell from the window of her second-floor flat.
20.
Dorothy Miles is regarded as a key figure in the literary heritage of sign language and the deaf community.
21.
Dorothy Miles was passionate about deaf issues, culture and sign language and longed to bridge the gap between deaf and hearing people.
22.
On 19 August 2024, the 93rd anniversary of her birth, Dorothy Miles was honoured with a Google Doodle created by Deaf artist Youmee Lee.