On Screen

Movies and television have reflected and shaped public perceptions of deaf people and other minority groups. From 1902 until 1986, according to one historian's account, over 150 movies and network TV programs had deaf characters. Until recently, these characters were rarely played by deaf actors, nor did they accurately portray the experiences of deaf people. The typical media image of a deaf person was a lonely, dependent, uneducated, often tragic figure, seldom an independent member of a close-knit community.