By Erin Fox

Six years ago, I wrote that working in film, television, or any kind of communications role can seem an unlikely choice for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. Looking back now, I’m glad I can say that notion is no longer true, thanks to more representation of deafness on screen, as well as changing attitudes in society to creating more accessible and inclusive work experiences.

Authentic representation of deafness on screen offers a glimpse at just how nuanced deafness is, and this makes people who are deaf or hard of hearing feel heard, creating a positive social impact.

2018 was a great year for representation of sign language in film, with The Silent Child, The Shape of Water and A Quiet Place. Oscar-winning The Silent Child tells the story of a profoundly deaf child Libby (portrayed by actress Maisie Sly who is also deaf) who struggles to communicate until a social worker Joanne, played by the film’s writer Rachel Shenton, teaches her sign language. Choosing a deaf actress to portray Libby was crucial for creating an authentic character, for Shenton, whose father was deaf.

For director John Krasinski, hiring a deaf actress for a deaf character in A Quiet Place was non-negotiable. The horror film stars 15-year-old Millicent Simmonds as the daughter of a family of four who are hiding from creatures that hunt by sound and so must live in silence, therefore communicating only in sign language. Krasinski wanted Simmonds for the role, rather than a non-deaf actress pretending to be deaf, to help his understanding of sign language and what it means to be deaf.

Casting deaf actors, rather than hearing actors pretending to be deaf, gives opportunities to not only the deaf community but also back to the hearing community. Learning from actors who are deaf shines a light on the value of sign language and how it is just as rich as verbal communication.

Guillermo del Toro, who was raised by two aunts who were deaf, was determined to put sign language front and centre in The Shape of Water. Sally Hawkins stars as Elisa, a mute woman who communicates through American Sign Language (ASL) and the camera captures every gesture and emotion on Elisa’s face.

Since 2018, we’ve seen more representations of deafness in films such as The Sound of Metal (2019) and CODA (2021).

The Sound of Metal brings the audience inside the hearing loss experience of the character, metal drummer Ruben, who develops noise-induced hearing loss. The film offers an evocative look at how disorienting acquired hearing loss can be as well as the realities of getting a cochlear implant – they’re not a quick-fix solution to deafness. Furthermore, deafness is certainly not something to be fixed.

In CODA, we see lived experiences of deafness through 16-year-old Ruby, the only hearing member of a deaf family. CODA, which stands for Child Of Deaf Adults, highlights the issues deaf families face when there is a lack of interpreters, meaning they rely on hearing members of the family to translate at medical appointments – which can be uncomfortable or inappropriate. Ruby’s parents and brother are played by deaf actors, Troy Kotsur, Daniel Durant and Marlee Matlin (let’s not forget her Oscar-winning performance as a deaf janitor in Children of A Lesser God in 1986).

On the smaller screen, we’ve seen how deaf people in real life achieve their dreams by communicating in a different way. In the UK, with Rose Ayling-Ellis on Strictly Come Dancing in 2021, Tasha Ghouri on Love Island in 2022, Tasha Stones on The Great British Bake-Off in 2023. At home in Ireland, we saw the first-ever date in Irish Sign Language (ISL) on First Dates Ireland in 2018, and last year, for the first time, The Late Late Toy Show had two deaf ISL interpreters.

Media representation of hearing loss and deafness can inspire confidence in others with hearing loss to speak up more about the challenges they face in society. For me, as someone who rapidly lost my hearing, at the age of 19, seeing hearing loss portrayed on screen has always made me go “Great, let’s see more of this!” And that ultimately led me to go on and be a little bit of that representation by going on First Dates Ireland earlier this year. I wanted to show that while I appear to manage well with hearing loss, I have to adapt every single day to keep up. But at the same time, there are a lot of funny moments and joy in life with deafness. Essentially, I wanted to show that the word ‘deaf’ doesn’t hold just one meaning.

Next time you flick on a movie or programme, you might see someone signing in the background or you might notice a hearing aid discreetly tucked behind an actor’s ear. Deafness is here to stay on screen, and I know I hope to see more of this!