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Essay / The influence of deaf actors on television and film
The most important deaf people on television today are Katie Leclerc and Sean Berdy. Both of these actors play roles in the television series “Switched at Birth”. The show is about “two teenage girls who discover they were accidentally switched as newborns in the hospital. Bay Kennish grew up in a wealthy family with two parents and a brother. Meanwhile, Daphne Vasquez, who contracted meningitis and became deaf at a young age, grew up with a single mother in a working-class neighborhood. Things become dramatic when families come together and struggle to learn to live together for the sake of the girls” (). This show introduced deaf culture to more of mainstream America. The show is made real by depicting deaf characters (played by death actors) in their daily lives and having as many problems as hearing people. Using only American Sign Language, the series forces people to pay attention and watch what is actually happening in the scene. This show was a total experience showing a completely new language and culture to people who haven't seen much diversity of this type. Personally, I think the idea of bringing a more or less unknown culture that few people have been exposed to is a great idea and can make people more comfortable with American singing language culture. It's shows like this that can shed new light and