Roger Demosthenes O'Kelly (October 25, 1880 – July 11, 1962) was a deaf, mute, partially-blind African-American lawyer.
"[1] Roger O'Kelly was born on October 25, 1880, in Raleigh, North Carolina.
O'Kelly became deaf due to Scarlet fever when he was 9 years old, and was "practically mute" as an adult, being able to "speak only to utter brief exclamations."
[citation needed] He communicated with the hearing world through writing notes on pads, and eventually earned a degree from Shaw University.
He eventually returned to Raleigh, North Carolina, and established a "lucrative" practice among the local African American community performing legal services relating to domestic relations, real estate, corporations, and abstracts of title.