Information about cancer, the disease that kills more Americans than any other except heart disease, is essential. In some ways, information is our first line of defense. It allows us to identify individual risk factors, to note when a problem means we should see a professional, and to avoid activities that might put us at risk. However, researchers have found that many people are prohibited from getting information because facts about cancer and other health-related issues are couched in language that is difficult to understand. Although many deaf individuals are able to read at a high level and deaf academicians use medical terminology and explain complex genetic information in American Sign Language (ASL), this terminology--as well as its spoken counterpart--is not widely understood. Many deaf people distrust the medical community due to a long history of not only insensitivity on the part of medical professionals but outright discrimination against deaf individuals. In response, the National Cancer Institute and the Genetic Alliance have funded the Deaf Genetics Projects research team, and the team is developing bilingual materials to help individuals in the Deaf community understand the complex information about cancer. The materials are designed for a wide audience that includes deaf high school students, deaf adults with minimum education, and deaf adults with some college education. The materials may be aligned with established curricula for science, biology, and health classes.