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Personally growing up Marlee Matlin, and Linda Bove were the only Deaf people I saw on tv ... as a hoh/deaf kid growing up that was a HUGE thing!
It wasn't about them being famous as much as it was about them being respected - on screen and off screen. I'm trying to think of a way to explain this in English... ummm .... while the hearing world was making me feel rather small -they ( Marlee and Linda etc) were (and are) this reminder that not everyone thinks deaf are dumb.
Of course there's more than just Marlee Matlin, Linda Bove etc out there ... Phyllis Frelich, Bernard Bragg, Groups like Deaf West,NTD& CTD are all HUGE.
They're Role models - currently one of my strongest role models is Deanne Bray(Kotsur) and it's not just because of Sue Thomas FB Eye.
The hearing world is infused with positive role models that kids and adults alike can look to... for hh/d who don't have a "community" it's more important than many people realise to be able to turn on the tv, and see people that the world sees as "successful" who just so happen to understand the same struggles, challenges, hopes, joys, and "life" that I do ...
JMHO
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