Ever since South African Sign Language (SASL) was declared as the twelfth official language in South Africa, people are finally taking note of this invisible disability called d/Deafness. (Parliament.gov.za, 2023) “More than four million people in South Africa are Deaf or Hard of Hearing…” (Bulelwa Payi, IOL, 2023) South Africa has a population of roughly 64.1 million people as of August 2024 (Worldometer, 2024). This means that about 5% of South Africans have a degree of deafness. It is sufficient to say that d/Deafness is a relevant topic in South Africa’s current population.
d/Deafness is also timely and related to current events, as portrayed in mainstream media recently. In 2021, Deaf actor, Troy Kotsur, won the Best Supporting Actor for CODA, which also won the Best Picture award. (Rebecca Rubin, 2022). The way I see it, these films are forcing the media and society as a whole to take note of the crucial and critical issues that d/Deaf persons are facing in their daily lives. Also, in my perspective, these films have kick-started serious conversations: are d/Deaf persons being portrayed accurately on the screen?
As someone who grew up in a hearing society, I always thought I was “the only one” with hearing loss who happened to live among hearing individuals. My family and friends were all hearing; I watched television and films that had only hearing characters; I also read books that with only hearing characters in them. Then I watched the television series “Sue Thomas F.B. Eye” for the first time in 2002, where a d/Deaf actress was cast in the leading role. I suddenly realized that there are people out there like me. Seeing someone like me in the mainstream media was an important educational step towards normalizing the “unique life” that I had.
This topic speaks to a gap and area that has not yet been explored or is under-explored. From my perspective, it is important to showcase persons with disabilities in film. In recent years, media and film have been promoting people of color, increasing LGBTQ+ representation, as well as promoting and empowering female filmmakers. From my view, persons with disabilities are a vital part of society, and need to be included in film representations. d/Deaf unemployment in South Africa is sky-high; in 2018, it was reported by the Deaf Federation of SA that 70% of d/Deaf persons are unemployed. (Lilita Gcwabe, 2022) Accurate onscreen representation is extremely important.
When it comes to the capital “D” Deaf community, it is important for them as a community to be represented accurately. “Some members of the Deaf community say they feel that to accurately portray a Deaf person’s story, it is important for the actor to have lived experience.” (Nadia Brophy, 2021) This is further explained by Amelia Hensley, a Deaf actress based in Los Angeles. She watched a film where a hearing actress was cast. She shared that Deaf persons use their whole faces when communicating, and they focus on facial expressions and body language. She believes that hearing actors will not be able to copy these skills in a short amount of time. “As ASL interpreters know, it takes many years of practice to understand facial expressions and when to use them.” (Amelia Hensley, 2017)
Through reading existing literature sources online, these are the trends that I picked up on. The first trend was that the creators of the television and film industry should request direct and on-set advice from sign language interpreters, audiologists, medical experts, speech therapists, d/Deaf actors and writers, etc. In their article “Media Representation of Deaf and Hard of Hearing People”, authors Elizabeth Walker, Marcia Walsh-Aziz, and Andrea Warner-Czyz back up their findings through Troy Kotsur, Douglas Ridloff, and Lauren Ridloff. All three are Deaf actors who use sign language as a means of communication, and their expertise was used on set to accurately portray sign language on the screens. (Walker, Walsh-Aziz and Warner-Czyz, 2022)
Another trend that I noticed was that it is important to cast d/Deaf actors who can then correctly portray d/Deaf roles on the screen. In their article “Deaf representation in films”, Deaf Action believes that disabled actors are often overlooked. Their article states that d/Deaf actors “should be given the same opportunities as hearing actors… breaking down stigmas around disabilities.” A third trend that I picked up on was that d/Deafness as a self-identity is vast and multi-faceted. In his article titled “Deaf Representation in Media is So Important”, Kim believes that all d/Deaf persons are unique. “Seeing those different identities in the media isn’t just about representation but self-identity too.” (Kim, 2021)
In this section, I highlight the gap in six previous studies that have looked at d/Deafness from various perspectives. Deaf characters in film are explored by Miriam Nathan Lerner for the National Technical Institute for the Deaf. Next, a thriller film, Hush (2016), is analyzed by Gwyneth Peaty for Curtin University. It follows Miriam Nathan Lerner and Edna Edith Sayers, where they explore different stereotypes that d/Deaf characters have been subjected to. In their thesis, Sharafina binti Teh Sharifuddin, Vimala a/p Perumal and Hushinaidi bin Abdul Hamid focuses on d/Deaf characters specifically in animation films. Next, Soledad Zárate wrote a chapter on remembering the d/Deaf and hard of hearing audiences when it comes to captioning and subtitling. Finally, John S. Schuchman wrote a journal article highlighting the connection between silent films and the Deaf community.
RESEARCH PROBLEM
There are gaps in these studies which I address. I will analyze films that have not been covered by specific literature review studies. Rather than focusing on just one thriller film, I focus on four films from different genres. Also, instead of just highlighting the stereotypes that d/Deaf characters have been subjected to, I will also highlight the solutions. I will also not focus on animation films for children, but instead films for mature audiences. I will also address access where the movie theaters are concerned, and what can be done to include d/Deaf audiences. Lastly, I will not do further research on the connection between silent films and the Deaf community, but instead the Deaf community and today’s films.
RESEARCH AIMS
The central question for this study is as follows:
“How are d/Deaf characters portrayed on film screens?”
The sub-questions that I will focus on are as follows:
- What are the common trends in representing deaf characteristics in film? In answering these questions, I will watch films and do a survey of four films and find the common themes.
- What informs these trends in the way these characters are portrayed? I will ask deaf persons how they see the deaf characters. I will also record how I see them as someone who’s hearing impaired. I will also look at the misconceptions surrounding these characters, find out if enough research has been done, if is it inclusive towards d/Deaf persons, etc.
- How do d/Deaf persons respond to these trends?
- How can screenwriters correct these trends through accurate background and character research?
Educating and enabling access and inclusion through mainstream media is a powerful way of getting the message across to the audiences. This study aimed to explore d/Deaf stereotypes and quell the mysteries that surrounds them. In this way, it is in my perspective that work will be created for d/Deaf persons who are actors and/or screenwriters. In my view, accurate representation is vital in the era and society that we are currently living in, and a more widespread understanding of the needs of d/Deaf people in society needs to be achieved.