Deaf activist Nyle DiMarco will kick off the 2019-20 Distinguished Speakers Series with a talk at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 23 in Alumni Arena, North Campus.

A winner of the hit television shows “Dancing with the Stars” and “America’s Next Top Model,” DiMarco empowers others to believe they can do and be anything they want in life, no matter the obstacle.

He won the mirror ball trophy on ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” (season 22) and was the last model standing on The CW’s “America’s Next Top Model” (cycle 22).

Born into a multigenerational deaf family, he is an honorary spokesperson for Language Equality and Acquisition for Deaf Kids (LEAD-K) and founder of the Nyle DiMarco Foundation, which works to improve the lives of deaf people around the world.

He co-produced the 2018 return to Broadway of “Children of a Lesser God” starring Joshua Jackson and Lauren Ridloff, and also was a creative collaborator on The ASL App, created by native deaf signers to teach conversational American Sign Language.

DiMarco, the series’ undergraduate student choice speaker, has a passion for language, literacy and advocacy within the deaf community and beyond. Believing that his deafness is “an asset rather than a limitation,” he builds a bridge between the deaf and hearing by shining a light on not only the struggles, but also the triumphs of the deaf culture.

Tickets range from $18 to $54 and can be purchased at the Alumni Arena box office or through Ticketmaster. Series subscriptions also are available.

Contributing Series Sponsors United University Professions, TIAA, the UB Alumni Association and the UB Office of Donor Relations are offering discounts that provide significant cost savings on individual lecture ticket purchases. Visit the DSS website for more information.

For more information about the series, visit the series’ website.