Dr. Mike Tuccelli, a former University of Florida professor of American Sign Language has been profoundly deaf since birth, but his lack of hearing has not stopped him from being an active motorcycle rider.

For the past 14 years, Dr. Tuccelli has organized an annual Florida/Alaska motorcycle trip raising money for the SKI-HI Institute, which provides much needed assistance to parents of deaf and blind children.  He's currently working on plans for his upcoming 2016 trip, which will begin in St. Augustine, Florida around July 2, 2016 and arrive in Alaska around July 10, 2016.

Dr. Tuccelli is just one of a large group of deaf motorcycle riders in the United States.  To make motorcycle safety education for deaf and hard of hearing riders available, the Motorcycle Safety Foundation will provide sign-language interpreters upon request.

To help with the costs of hiring the interpreters, the National Motorcycle Safety Fund (NMSF), has set aside a pool of $15,000 in special grant funds for the next 12 months.  For more information or to enroll in an MSF safety course, visit msf-usa.org or call (800)446-9227.

The motorcycle attorneys at Heintz & Becker support motorcycle safety initiatives for everyone and believe that deaf and hard of hearing riders are just as entitled to use the road as anybody else.  We hope that this information will give encouragement to the deaf and hard of hearing and their families that they too can experience the fun and freedom of motorcycling.

If you have been injured in a motorcycle accident and need an experienced motorcycle attorney, call us anytime.  There is no fee or cost until we make a recovery.

Source(s): Motorcycle Safety Foundation, "National Motorcycle Safety Fund Launches Initiative to Help Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students Take MSF's Signature Motorcyclist Safety Training Course", posted October 21, 2015; alaskabikerun.com; SKI-HI Institute