GREENVILLE, NC (WITN) A deaf activist brought his inspiring message to East Carolina University Wednesday.

Nyle DiMarco spoke — or signed — at the East Carolina Heart Institute and the ECU Student Center Wednesday about deaf culture, technology, and embracing who you are. He spread a message of bringing both the deaf and hearing worlds together in different ways, including learning sign language and using technology like iPhone notes, the ASL app, and FaceTime.

DiMarco has starred on America’s Next Top Model and Dancing with the Stars, and he’s now been touring across the country spreading an inspirational message of empowering the deaf community and bridging the cap between the deaf and hearing communities.

One deaf person in attendance, Robert Deluca, related to so much of what Dimarco said.”It means that deaf people can do anything. We can do anything. Just because I’m deaf what does that mean, I can’t, I can’t, I can’t? No. I’ve seen that attitude, I have. But we can do anything,” Deluca said.

DiMarco is also a model and actor who speaks out on various platforms like TV and social media about deaf culture.