Switched at Birth....Season II: A Cochlear Implant Character?

My wife and I have been enjoying all of the episodes of Switched at Birth and we are now caught up. It's great to see well known actors in the show who are a part of the signing community like the famously well known Marlee Matlin (Melody), the more recently the up and coming but wildly popular Sean Berdy (Emmett), and the newest actor, Ryan Lane (Travis) who is making waves. From all indication the show has been a popular success among many deaf and hard of hearing people in the signing community. With a variety of cast of characters such as the late deafened teen to the native ASL signers to signing and non-signing parents of the switched at birth characters made the show an interesting and enjoyable one to follow. This is a show that gives viewers the chance to see real deaf/hh actors in action and learn something about the signing community. The way I see it, any positive exposure regarding sign language is a good exposure regardless whether one signs well or not. With the shows obvious success, the second season of "Switch at Birth" will likely take place according to a 2nd exclusive interview  (see first interview here) with Katie LeClerc that took place last week:

Any news about a second season?
Katie Leclerc: I saw the creator today at the Up Front function in New York and I was like pushing her for info. I was like, ‘Lizzy, give me something to work off of.’ The only thing, and she might actually kill me for telling you this. I think she’s going to be really mad at me. I’m so sorry. Now I teased you.

You can’t not tell me.
Katie Leclerc: She’s going to kill me. Gilles Marini comes back in this episode and I think that he’s going to try to make a presence in the next season. That’s as much as I can say, and I’m probably going to be yelled for you.

Katie LeClerc plays one of the lead character (who lost her hearing at an early age due to a case of meningitis) as Daphne who was switched at birth managed to pick up signing. A character who is slowly assimilating herself into the signing community. But in real life Katie LeClerc is actually a hard of hearing actress and has Meniere's disease and wears a hearing aid as explained in her first interview in January.  Despite the show's success there are few culturally deaf (Deaf) people who don't like the show based on the fact that the one of the lead actress, Katie Leclerc, who plays Daphne, isn't "deaf enough" according to a recent circulating petition created by a "Deaf ASL teacher" for Deaf people who are against the show and some actors, specifically Katie Leclerc:

ABC Family first dropped the ball by hiring an actress who is not Deaf. Katie Leclerc is an actress that only recently started losing some of her hearing due to Meniere's Disease. The only reason she knew any ASL before the show was because she took it in high school and that was because, In her own words, "I was very bad at Spanish." Leclerc has to take voice lessons in order to "sound Deaf" on the show. Leclerc portrays herself as an ambassador of the Deaf community - "I feel comfortable in the deaf world I feel comfortable in the hearing world," Leclerc said. "I'm glad I can cross over." - There is no crossing over. She is a hearing person that is playing the part of a Deaf character. She is not a part of the Deaf world. Thus, some of the things about her character are not things that are normal for a Deaf person who grew up in the Deaf world - such as her ability to lipread flawlessly, her constant sim-com (talking and signing at the same time), and her signing being jerky and awkward at times. There are many talented and beautiful culturally Deaf actresses that ABC Family could have hired.

Pretty sad and selfish for them to attack Katie Leclerc and say that she is not "Deaf enough."  Even though the petition asserts that she's hearing but in fact a she's a hard of hearing person with Meniere's disease,  a progressive condition that affects balance and hearing and includes odd sensation of movement (vertigo), dizziness, loss of hearing in one or both ears and ringing in the ear (known as tinnitus). Yet many Deaf people don't realize that Katie Leclerc has a hearing loss:

Katie Leclerc: Daphne is a typical, high school girl. She plays basketball. She`s got boyfriends. She gets good grades. And she`s deaf. It was really exciting to be able to portray that. I learned sign language when I was 17 in high school. When I was 20, I found out that I had Meniere`s Disease and I am very, very, very fortunate that I will be able to communicate for the rest of my life, because it gets worse over time.

So you have a hearing loss?

Katie Leclerc: I`m hard of hearing. Yes. One of the symptoms of Meniere`s Disease is the hearing fluctuates.

You lip read, too?

Katie Leclerc: Yes.

What made you learn?

Katie Leclerc: Just a very serendipitous thing. I think things happen for a reason.

Did you ever feel you wanted to switch lives and not have that?

Katie Leclerc: You know, for me, the disease progresses and it gets worse as it progresses, but I`ve been able to bear with it. There are definitely symptoms and some times are harder than others, but my sister`s is far more progressed than mine and to see how her struggle goes and see what she does is sort of inspiring. I`m lucky because I get to know what I have to look forward to so I can prepare for it.

What did you learn from her?

Katie Leclerc: To stay strong. There`s really nothing you can do about it, so I just try to keep a positive attitude.
.
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Has anyone not wanted to cast you because of the Meniere`s Disease?

Katie Leclerc: Most people are unaware of my hearing loss.

But then you have an few cranky Deaf people who'll complain and set up a petition only because a hard of hearing and signing actress isn't "deaf enough." How surreal can this get in their effort to reject a late deafened teen actress who have begun to learn sign language for her own benefit as well as for the show?

Here's one comment that was made in the petition that attacked Katie Leclerc.

I am a deaf actress and am extremely disappointed in your casting for Daphine. She is not deaf, she has no right to say that she represents Deaf people. She has never lived a deaf life. Not to mention, this show has SO much possibilities to teach people how to bridge a gap between two completely different people, in this case deaf and hearing. And yet, you fall back on sex, drugs and fake drama. Please clean this up, recast Daphine with someone that is actually deaf, who has ability to sign FLUENTLY, and also use speech.

Katie Leclerc is a person with a hearing loss. A late deafened person. She is a hard of hearing person. She knows sign language and continues to get better. She can talk. She can hear some. She wears hearing aids. She is a person that is welcomed in the signing community and not a person to be shunned just because she's not "Deaf enough."  That's rather selfish and cruel. Even though the rest of the cast and extras you see throughout the show's episodes are culturally deaf people, specifically Marlee Matlin, Sean Berdy, and Ryan Lane. That alone ought to be more than enough to go around.

The selfishness by a few Deaf people is utterly surreal.

Now, about the title of my blog, there seems to be a confirmation swirling around on what we could expect for season two of the show "Switched at Birth."  I got word that a writer of the show is thinking about casting another deaf actor who wears a cochlear implant to play a deaf character with a cochlear implant. No word on whether this character will sign or not. But if this is true then I'm sure the show will be even more enjoyable to watch with a variety of deaf and hard of hearing characters with various signing skills that wear hearing aids, cochlear implants or none at all from all kinds of background to come together along with hearing signers as one big happy (but drama filled) signing community in the "Switched at Birth" show. This will allow the viewers to learn more about deaf and hard of hearing people that come in all shape and sizes and help increase the positive exposure and fascination of sign language.

What more  could you ask? Makes sense to me.

Here's to season two!

Anytime...anywhere....not afraid to communicate.

On an airplane flight in one of his many business flights and being the only deaf person on board surrounded with hearing travelers certainly was not an excuse for him to keep quiet. Wherever he goes whether at a bar, a convention, or on an airplane there's never a lost opportunity to whip up a discussion with a hearing person anytime, anywhere...no problem. And communicate easily, unimpeded in real time conversations and not miss a beat or a single word. Never knowing that by introducing himself to a hearing person could open up a whole new level of networking. Just like the day on an airplane when he bumped into one of the top sports writer for The Kansas City Star newspaper Joe Posnanski who eventually wrote a story about this deaf man and his good friend, Greg Gunderson back in July of 2006. A story that I was directly responsible in reuniting these two old deaf friends who have not seen each other since the days when they were camp roommates at Boys Town.

Jason and engineers spent three years testing the device, working and reworking the design, and interviewing deaf people for ideas. When the prototype was done, Jason needed some people to test it. He contacted Mike McConnell, perhaps the nation’s best known deaf blogger. Mike said he knew the perfect guy.

He wrote: “Do you know about Greg Gunderson, who is trying to become the first deaf NASCAR driver?"

When Jason came across Greg’s name, he did not recognize it. But when he went to the Web site, he saw a photograph, one he had a hundred times before. It was Greg on a snowmobile. Jason remembered everything. This was his old camp roommate. He was trying for something big. And he needed help.

So, Jason got in touch, and they cried as they remembered. Jason’s Independence-based company sComm bought Greg his fire suit and helmet (with the words “Ubi Duo” prominent on both) and he offered Greg his invention to use on the show. This way, Greg could communicate with fans and media members and the other drivers on the show. This way, Jason’s invention could be seen by America.

See, Jason believes in destiny, too.

“The other day, I had a long chat with my brother-in-law on the Ubi Duo,” Jason wrote. “It was the first in-depth conversation we’d ever had. When I went over to their house, I used to be off to the side, alone. It was hard.

“Now, this device … it will change people’s lives. I know it. It will help deaf people do jobs. It will bring family members together. And it will help my old friend Greg become the first deaf NASCAR driver. I know it.”

Greg knows it, too. The story has to end happily. A few weeks ago, Greg came across a room key and he realized: It was to their room at Boys Town. Greg never knew why he kept that key — he was supposed to give it back at the end of the camp — but he did keep it. And every time he thought of throwing it away, something stopped him. Now he knew. He gave the key to Jason.

“What is the key to?” I type into the Ubi Duo.

“The future,” Greg typed.

Indeed. The future continues to look brighter with each passing day for sComm only because communicating with hearing people using the UbiDuo has proved its worth the weight in gold time and time again.  It's the little bold things like talking next to a hearing passenger sitting next to you while showcasing the face to face communication device to a fellow passenger that led to much bigger things. With the UbiDuo deafness becomes a non-issue anytime, anywhere and never an excuse not to communicate with any hearing person.

So, what's stopping you from communicating with a hearing person sitting next to you?  Your deafness? It certainly did not stop Greg Gunderson or Jason Curry.

Naturally so...

A certain person who used to be a moderator in one forum recently claimed that I made a slanderous remark against a new forum in a recent blog I did. A claim that is certainly unfounded. The problem is that I've always supported competition as I've said before elsewhere. If people think they can build a better mouse trap (i.e.better product, services, etc), go for it. This is exactly how it happened between Deafread and Deaf Village. Both are blog aggregator websites where Deaf Village was borne out of its own need (and frustration) on a matter of principle and ideology in 2008 to build it's own blog aggregator site instead of relying on Deafread's blog aggregator site. In fact, I was one original Deaf Village staff who helped get Deaf Village off the ground in 2008. And yet I am a blog contributor to both Deafread and Deaf Village blog aggregator sites.

The same story goes between DeafvideoTV, Deafcube and ASLrocks.net (now defunct) which are (or were as for ASLrocks) video blog aggregator websites but Deafcube (and ASLrocks) was, too, born out of its own need (and frustration) on a matter of principle and ideology recently to build it's own video blog aggregator site. So, nothing is new under the sun when Naturally Deaf came about a few weeks ago borne out of its own need (and frustration) and as a matter of principle and ideology against All Deaf to build it's own forum.

People are free to make their choices when it comes to competition over the internet and that's what makes America great. There are now more choices to chose from for deaf and hard of hearing people, late deafened, culturally deaf, cochlear implant wearers, CODA, hearing parents of deaf/hh children and people who are simply curious or interested about deafness issues. I've already told a few people about the new forum site to check it out yet the snarkiness and sniggering on congratulating me for helping generate traffic to their new forum continues as I speak which certainly tells the story. 

As I have said before to the new moderator, good luck on the new endeavor and duty as a moderator. I mean it.

Now, back to my blog.

It's understandable that some people would miss my warning that I'd play the devil's advocate (I made it abundantly clear in the beginning) in one of my recent blog.  Long story short, I explained that some people might think of the phrase "naturally deaf" as applied to people would find it odd. Much the same questioning could be said for "naturally blind" and so on. But if people actually think I did make a slanderous statement against the new forum in my recent blog then show exactly where I made that slander. Otherwise it'd be smart to retract that accusation when it was never true in the first place which, ironically so, is the very definition of a slander. Go figure. Yet, I have my own opinions and beliefs regarding forums, blog and vlog aggregator sites. I have the right to express them as I see fit. Even when I believe some favoritism and bias have played a role on influencing moderators. There is no such thing as a bias-free moderator, naturally so. And in retrospect, I'd be wary of joining a deaf discussion forum with that kind of rampant bias and favoritism.

Forgetting your deafness while not forgetting that you're deaf.

Lately there seems to be a bit of twisting of a particular quote on what Naomi Horton of Indiana Hear said not too long ago in a recent Indiana Hear press release last year in June:

When deaf kids don’t consider themselves deaf… the magic begins.

The context of her quote is quite simple once your read the rest of the press release. It's from a point of view that when kids are having fun and are communicating with each other, they forget that they are deaf. Hence, the "magic begins." That press release provides a much better context in support of her quote.  In fact, in the press release it stated that the kids when asked a question about camp they don't talk about their deafness:

....queried the children about what makes this camp special. A sample of the answers were: “swimming in the lake,” “horseback riding,” and “the friends we make.” None of campers surveyed even mentioned being deaf.

That's the gist of it. They have fun at camp forgetting completely about being deaf. The kids know they have a hearing loss or are deaf and certainly are not ignoring that very fact themselves. 

Tyler McAchren, a Junior at Huntington University, was a chaperone this summer after attending as a camper for three years. McAchren who wears a cochlear implant was asked, “Do you consider yourself deaf?”

“I usually say I’m hearing, but I’m not opposed to using the word deaf either. After all without my implant I am profoundly deaf.”

Hear Indiana’s executive director, Naomi Horton, queried the children about what makes this camp special. A sample of the answers were: “swimming in the lake,” “horseback riding,” and “the friends we make.” None of campers surveyed even mentioned being deaf.

Naomi Horton spoke about the summer camp for deaf and hard of hearing kids with the goal to help build up their confidence and self esteem. Nothing more, nothing less. 

“Camp reminds us all that deafness is no longer a limitation. Our campers amaze me with the gentle way they encourage each other to complete our challenge tasks. Our camp is fostering future leaders, not just within the hard of hearing and deaf community, but within the hearing world at large.”

The kids at summer camp communicate amongst themselves forgetting that they are deaf just like any other deaf kids who communicate whether by speaking, listening or signing.  It is a common thing to forget about our deafness in our effortless moments whenever we communicate with other people but certainly have not forgotten that we have a hearing loss. It'd be ludicrous and delusional to think otherwise.