Switched at Birth petition controversy re-visited

Last year in March I covered a petition that was against the show "Switched at Birth" simply because some of the cast of characters weren't "Deaf enough." That is not enough deaf people (as opposed to hard of hearing) who are native signers. The petition provided insight to the amount of shallowness and cruelty considering the fact that the show's main cast of characters have more culturally deaf characters who are native signers and more hearing characters who pick up sign language for the benefit of their deaf sibling, deaf child or deaf friend (such as the hearing character, Bay, who was dating Emmet) than there are hearing characters who do not know sign language. The show is actually a great example of what diversity is like among the main cast of characters who are culturally deaf, hard of hearing, hearing, signers and non-signers. You can thank Marlee Matlin for that.

She also pointed out that until recently, deaf characters were generally a guest role written in to just a handful of episodes at best. She credits Marlee Matlin, who plays a mother of Daphne's friend, making a difference, saying, "[She] really did an incredible job of paving the way for deaf actors." 

But she noted that "Switched at Birth" has taken the progress one step further. "You get four characters with hearing loss, and different ranges of hearing loss, and it really accurately represents the culture, the issues within the culture, and the way people feel about the culture."

You have three main characters who commonly appear on the show who are culturally deaf and they are Emmet (Sean Berdy), Travis (Ryan Lane), and Melody (Marlee Matlin).  The other deaf/hh (main) character is Daphne (Katie LeClerc) whose grew up speaking and listening as a hard of hearing person that wears a hearing aid and knows sign language. Whenever deaf characters speak to each other the audio is edited to remove all background noise except for ambient noise. This allow viewers to focus on the visual emotions and physical nature of sign language while at the same time provide a perspective of what it is like to be deaf and not hear sound around them.

Rob Nielson, a  Deaf ASL teacher in Texas, was the original author of a petition (with a paltry 100 signatures) against the show reasoning that the show isn't suitable to be shown on the ABC Family channel tv show because

"the main Deaf character isn't even Deaf and a so-called "family channel" is resorting to scenes of drug use, sexual innuendos, and in a recent episode, gratuitous teen sex."

Yet in the petition it was made more abundantly clear it was more about the main character (Daphne) wasn't "Deaf enough" for Rob and his students.

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.

The part about that Katie LeClerc is a hearing person is absolutely false.

Katie Leclerc is hard of hearing in real life
Playing a deaf girl comes more naturally to Leclerc than it would to most actors because she has first hand knowledge of what it's like to live with hearing loss. At the age of 20 the actress was diagnosed with Ménière's disease. She explained the affliction, "[It's] a problem with fluid retention in the inner ear. You get fluctuating hearing loss, attacks of vertigo, ringing in the ear, and pressure in the ear. So it is a very sporadic disorder. The attacks come and go as they please with no rhyme or reason."

And although the condition sometimes makes it difficult for Leclerc to work, she never loses sight of the important role hearing loss has had for her as an actress. "Without the Ménière's disease, I would not be able to play the role of Daphne. In the deaf community, in order to play a role of someone with a hearing loss… you have to have hearing loss. So without this Ménière's disease, I wouldn't be able to have this dream come true, this role of a lifetime, this incredible opportunity."

She found out she has Meniere's Disease at 20 years old that explained her losing her hearing which gets progressively worse as she gets older. Katie LeClerc made clear that she is in fact a hard of hearing person, and not a hearing person that Rob is claiming.  She made no claims of being an "ambassador of the Deaf community," either.  That was Rob Nielson's doing by turning it into a something else to suit his own agenda (of insecurity).

According to Don Grushkin and other culturally deaf people they would agree that Katie LeClerc is a Deaf person (go here and here to see why) with "Deaf" to mean an all-inclusive word. But according to Rob Nielson he is basically saying that Katie LeClerc's character, Daphne, is not "Deaf enough" solely on the basis that the character does not behave like some culturally deaf, native signer as clarified in Rob's petition.

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.

Which is it, Rob? Accept a deaf/hh character (or for that matter in real life a deaf/hh person) for who he/she is or get nit-picky because the character doesn't sign flawlessly or smoothly enough for you? On the show you have three characters who sign "flawlessly" that fits Rob's ideal world and you have one hard of hearing character who does her best at signing to communicate yet her signing does not fit Rob's level of signing proficiency because, ya know, she's all jerky and stuff.

Again, Katie LeClerc is most definitely NOT a hearing person but hard of hearing.

Maybe it's time Rob, the "Deaf ASL teacher of Texas," the fair and "open-minded one," should publicly apologize for saying that Katie LeClerc is not a deaf/hh person and that her character is not "Deaf enough" because she's not like Marlee Matlin who can sign "flawlessly"?

This is deaf identity politics at its worse. That kind of ugly discrimination need to stop.

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!