TEDxIslay – Linda Bove: Why We Need Deaf Actors in Deaf Roles
I watched this TEDx Talk about the importance of having deaf actors in deaf roles. I think it is done very well and brings up very important points.
Representation in the media is not about putting minorities on a pedestal or exploiting them, it is about giving them an equal opportunity to be represented truthfully to the world. Representation is important for people who are not part of that minority to be educated on the culture of a group, and what people of that minority are like. Representation also abolishes stereotypes. If people see deaf/hard of hearing characters who are played by deaf/hard of hearing actors, they can be educated on the culture and see how deaf people are actually people.
A show like Switched At Birth on ABC Family which includes deaf actors, can educate a lot of people on deaf culture. It has healthy representation that takes away the stigma of what hearing people think the deaf community is like.
Deaf/Hard of Hearing representation in the media also gives deaf actors the opportunity to do what they love, act. They also get to do it in the mainstream media and be praised for it as hearing actors are.
Seth David 