Increasing Trend of Deaf People on Reality Shows?

Now, Greg Gunderson would not be the first deaf person to get on a TV network reality show should he win the spot after July 31, 2006 and the TV reality show "Racin for a Livin" will be shown in February 2007. People need to to remember that there were other deaf people before Greg who were on reality shows that helped pave the way on public awareness regarding deafness issues.

Take a look at Matt Hamill (click on link for rare post-fight interview) in 2006 who became the first ever deaf Mixed Martial Arts fighter ever to compete on the The Ultimate Fighter reality show.

Then we have the Vardon family with the deaf Mom and Dad along with their two hearing sons (one is austic) who were on the Extreme Home Makeover show back in August of 2004 with Marlee Matlin making a surprise visit at the end of the show.

And then we have Christy Smith who became the first ever deaf person to be on any reality shows back in 2003 on a show called "Survivor." And probably the most controversial one since she choose to speak instead on the show rather than sign that create an complete uproar among those in the Deaf community.

Is there a trend going on here? We seems to be getting one deaf competitors on a reality show a year (except for 2005 which there weren't any). Are viewers likely to be more sympathic and supportive of deaf competitors or deaf people on reality shows? Are producers of reality shows starting to see that having deaf people on reality shows could actually boost their ratings? With 31 million deaf and hard of hearing people in the United States, that might be a reason why. And it has been proven that putting a deaf person into a reality show help boosts TV ratings remarkably!

People watching reality shows tend to root for the underdogs, and if there is an identifiable deaf competitor on a reality show, then viewers are more likely to favor the little guy, so to speak.

So, will the next deaf person to get on the next TV network reality show get more attention than ever before? Is this a good way to raise the consciousness of America about what deaf or hard of hearing people can do, and do just as well if not better than most hearing people?

Time will only tell.