Millicent Simmonds from Quiet Place will play the part of Helen Keller, a DeafBlind American author and disability rights advocate. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Helen & Teacher is a film about Keller's relationship to Anne Sullivan, Anne Sullivan's translator and companion.
Simmonds shared the news on her social media platforms. It caused controversy among the Deaf, DeafBlind, and Disabled communities. Simmonds is Deaf but not DeafBlind. Loni Friedmann (DeafBlind) posted a response to the news. Friedmann is an ASL instructor who teaches online ASL classes. Friedmann stated that "Deaf people don't understand what it means to be DeafBlind." The entertainment industry has a long history of casting inauthentic characters. Movies like Me Before You, Theory Of Everything and Come As You Are all feature disabled actors playing these roles.
Mary Harman, a deaf Latina disability rights activist and expert, says that "unauthentic casting" is a problem because of the serious harm it causes. This is both overt and covert. Whether it's TV, movies, or advertisements, people create world-views. It is crucial that these perspectives are accurate. There is no one way to experience disability. The disability experience is a spectrum. It is impossible to portray a person with a disability in a fictionalized role. This creates false narratives and can be harmful. Storytelling can bring out the rich, unique cultural experiences that disability offers. This is where the problem lies: Disability is not authentically presented.
The entertainment industry is a powerful one. The U.S. media & entertainment (M&E), industry is the biggest in the world. It is a third of global M&E industry. The U.S. industry is expected to reach more than $825 billion by 2023, according to the 2018-2023 Entertainment & Media Outlook by PriceWaterhouseCoopers.
Venesse Guy is a Black DeafBlind woman who identifies herself as she/they. AstroWoke is a website that provides the ultimate access to all astrological content in ASL. It was founded by Astrologer, who stated that performers lacking lived experience, particularly as DeafBlind people, can confuse the audience rather than enlighten them. This may make people think that DeafBlind actors don't exist or that DeafBlind individuals can't be represented. To uplift the DeafBlind community, we should offer authentic representation. These roles are employment opportunities for DeafBlind individuals and can open doors to the future. Young DeafBlind members would benefit greatly from having role models and accurate representation. This will also help to boost their self-esteem and improve their lives. It is important that we are given more opportunities to express our identities and the community. In Hollywood, conscious casting must be encouraged and acknowledged.
We need to question and investigate the differences between representation behind the camera, and representation in front.
Harman states, "The media harnesses immense strength in normalizing things. This includes the disability experience which is an integral part the broad spectrum humankind. Over 1 billion people around the world have some kind of disability, and 1 in 5 Americans has it. This is approximately 15% of the global population. Yet, stigmatization continues to be a problem for people with disabilities. The media played and continues to play an important role in this. This is largely due to the way we are misrepresented to mainstream society/audiences. It can be so helpful to commit to inclusion on all fronts in the entertainment industry.
Simmonds is Deaf and her talent, skills, and global success are big wins for the industry as well as the Deaf community. But, should casting this project have been done differently? Friedmann said that DeafBlind actors for DeafBlind roles are the best because they have lived it. Friedmann gives several examples of how people get their perspectives from actors in movies and TV.
Deaf roles for Deaf people.
DeafBlind positions for DeafBlind individuals.
Black Deaf roles for Black Deaf people.
Indigenous Deaf roles for Indigenous Deaf people.
People of Color Deaf are people who play the role of People of Color Deaf, and so forth.
Harman also stated, "I believe that production should have committed itself to ethical casting." DeafBlind people should be brought onboard from the beginning, as well as searching far and wide to find talent for the blind and DeafBlind. Casting actors who have lived the role is what I believe it means. DeafBlind people must be involved in every aspect of production.
It seems that a story about Helen Keller is a good first step. Hollywood is starting to focus on stories about disabled people and stories about disability culture. Although this is a significant direction for Hollywood, Guy states that it is a moment of greatness. Guy also says they made a film about Helen Keller's life. The character Helen Keller is a victim of white privilege, privilege and elitism. The character of Helen Keller is outdated due to whiteness, privilege, and elitism. The entertainment industry seems to have only one DeafBlind story: Helen Keller's. This reduces DeafBlind people's experiences to one story. It is important to take into account all DeafBlind contributors, particularly DeafBlind people with colour.
1956: Portrait of Helen Keller, an American educator and advocate for the disabled. She is holding a Braille book and is surrounded by shelves that contain books and figurines. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images). Getty Images
Hollywood has much to do before it is considered equitable by all communities. Guy believes that the entertainment industry can be more inclusive by focusing on who is present at production meetings and behind the camera. DeafBlind people should not be left out of the casting and hiring process. They should be merged in to the cast or hired as casting consultants. Being part of the production team would make us feel more comfortable and normal. Director and producer may see hiring certified Deaf interpreters or accessing resources to seamlessly communicate with DeafBlind individuals as obstacles. Everyone should be aware that communication access is a legal right, as per the American Disabilities Act. It's easy to accommodate people with disabilities. This is the right thing. Entertainment industry must be held accountable from the inside and not marginalized groups who do the work. Harman would like to see more disabled actors in roles, and not just characters with disabilities. Take Lauren Ridloff as Makkari. Makkari was originally a white-hearing man. There are many possibilities when you remove disabilities and other identities from the boxes society has put them in.
Harman believes that a major reason why we continue to see people who are disabled miscast is the absence of people with disabilities in writers, directors, producers and other involved parties. "Reversing this trend would likely result in more authentic portrayals."
It is common to believe that DeafBlind, Deaf, and Disabled talent can't be found. Guy suggests that DeafBlind performers can be found through networking within the Deaf community. There are many talented DeafBlind people looking for such opportunities. Imagine how small the DeafBlind community can be. Deaf actors accepting DeafBlind roles just proves that there is still very little support for DeafBlind people. Another misconception about the DeafBlind community is that it is impossible to see. There is a wide range of DeafBlind people, and we all have our own ways of coping with this journey. Authentic casting is key to understanding DeafBlind people and how we can be accommodated more effectively. Audiences should see more authentic portrayals by people with disabilities, even DeafBlind. Audiences should be exposed to more authentic portrayals of people with all disabilities, including DeafBlind people.
Guy also mentions that some DeafBlind people may be overshadowed by DeafBlind people, if given the chance. Accessibility is an important part of this dearth of representation behind and in front of the camera. Harman states that captioning is not as common as people think. Trailers, interviews and other content created by the industry must be correctly captioned.
We need intersectionality, in addition to authenticity, accessibility, and diverse stories. Harman mentioned, "many people with disabilities adopt multiply-marginalized identities, such as Black deaf, Latinx, and DeafBlind people. It's crucial to consider multiple identities when casting a character.
Although progress is being made we need to remember that unauthentic portrayals can have a lasting and real impact on the lives of others. Harman states, "The effect is very real" This means that when people with disabilities are miscast other creators get the message that it's okay to do so. For mainstream society to consume, harmful and false narratives are created. This can have a devastating effect on society. It perpetuates inequalities in employment (in 2020 17.9% of persons living with a disability were employed, compared to 61.8% of those without a disability in 2020), and exposes our communities to oppression in every corner of society. The disability community isn't a single entity. There are many experiences in disability; Deafness is not the same as DeafBlind.
Harman states that to make the industry more inclusive for everyone, including DeafBlind talent Harman said "it must be made explicit in casting calls that DeafBlind talents are wanted and sought after." This will help you attract DeafBlind talent. DeafBlind communities should also advertise the casting call to reach talent they feel should audition.
Guy and Friedman share their final thoughts and key takeaways. Guy suggests that you need to unpack your sighted privileges and your able-bodied privileges in order to resolve this entire controversy. Do not be attached to your privileges. Share them with us, so that we all can succeed together. Without being recognized, how can we thrive? How do we create a strong community structure and foundation? Non-DeafBlind people need to be able to recognize us. Complex humans are what we are. Keep your ears open to different DeafBlind or BIPOC options.
Although inclusion can require extra effort and time, a movie that wants to tell a DeafBlind tale should not be without us. The movie would have been better if it included DeafBlind creators.
