I actually then went on to direct an after-school special where one of the characters was deaf. They hired me without even knowing I had any connection to the community.

I know deaf people. I have discussed the issues with them I've also thought about them a lot so I have some insights that go a little further than people who haven't had contact with the deaf community.

Most profoundly deaf people have speech that is very difficult to understand.

There is no relation to sound for deaf people. It is a totally different mental process.

The deaf community is in a favorable position because they have a national theatre and training groups of their own to get them started. Deaf actors have often acquired very valuable skills and experience before they get their break.

But people who think they can project themselves into deafness are mistaken because you can't. And I'm not talking about imagining what a deaf person's whole life is like I even mean just realizing what it is like for an instant.