Hollywood Takes Over Washington

Marlee Matlin poses with her new star

on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. 

Photo By Sharon Graphics. 

Some Rights Reserved.

Prior to 1990, Marlee Matlin was a young actress who could appear on television and give interviews, but she could not take part in enjoying the fruits of her labor. She could sit in the room with her family while they watched her appear on the television, but she could not follow what was happening. She could sit on the couch with her family as they watched a rented movie, but she could not hear or understand the words spokent. At this time, closed captioning was not prevalent nor required.

When Marlee was a child, she got started acting in The Wizard of Oz at the International Center on Deafness and the Arts near Chicago. In 1990, the woman who played Dorothy at the age of seven stood before prominent members of congress to fight for that particular movie to be captioned. Marlee wanted to be able to watch and understand what was happening in the film that inspired her young career. After arguing her case, Matlin found that her hard work paid off. Congress voted that, for the first time ever, The Wizard of Oz was to be closed captioned. Not only that, a year later, congress passed a law that all broadcast television must be captioned. The deaf community finally felt they had found victory.

"For 36 million Americans who for so long were left out of the mainstream when it came to broadcast TV, we were finally able to get the words hearing people all take for granted for our world," Matlin stated with pride (Marlee). Sometimes, as hearing people, we don't realize how different our world would be if we could not watch the news or television for entertainment. On September 11, 2001, the deaf and hearing alike sat glued to their televisions watching the horrific events unfold. Had Matlin not fought for all broadcast television to be captioned, those who were hard of hearing and deaf would not have been able to truly follow the events of that day.

Credits:

 N.d. Photograph. Flickr.com. Sharon Graphics. Web. 29 Oct. 2012. http://www.flickr.com/photos/sharongraphics/3509015608/sizes/o/in/photostream/.

"Marlee Matlin FCC Field Hearing Testimony." Marlee Matlin FCC Field Hearing Testimony. National Association of the Dear, 06 Nov. 2009. Web. 29 Oct. 2012. <http://www.nad.org/issues/civil-rights/communications-act/21st-century-act/marlee-matlin-fcc-field-hearing-testimony>.

Post 5

For the only and youngest girl born into the Matlin family, Marlee grew up with a spunk and a live energy about her.  As a young baby and toddler, Marlee would babble more than most babies at her age.  She would giggle and laugh watching her two older brothers.  But at the age of 18 months, her family started to see a difference in her.  When her mom began to worry, she brought her to the doctor who concluded that she was completely deaf in one ear and lost over 80% of her hearing in the other (BOOK).  The doctor could not confirm the cause, but he suggested a genetically malformed cochlea as the culprit.

After losing her hearing, Matlin's family found that they needed to find ways to communicate with their daughter and sister.  Matlin's parents decided that they wanted to keep their daughter in their own home rather than sending her away to be educated with other deaf and hard of hearing children.  Marlee started learning sign language at the age of five; although they tried, her parents were only able to learn some signs to communicate with their daughter.

As Marlee grew, her parents realized that regardless of her lack of hearing, Marlee was meant to be in the spotlight.  She liked to be the center of attention.  Thus, they found the International Center on Deafness and the Arts in suburban Chicago.  It was here that Marlee unlocked her inner actress.  The center was putting on a deaf version of "The Wizard of Oz," in which Marlee declared she was going to play Dorothy.  She was right.  She auditioned and received the role shortly after the declaration.  From this point on, Marlee would continue to pursue a career in acting. Though she wasn't searching for a job in Hollywood, she did continue to play an active role in the theaters.

Her acting career took her beyond her hometown and into the big city of Chicago.  It was here that Marlee played a role in Children of a Lesser God.  Eventually, Marlee was called from the stage to reprise her role in the movie version.  Today, we consider this to be Marlee's "big break."  She plays a young deaf girl who refuses to learn to speak or lip read against the will of her speech teacher played by William Hurt. 

For her portrayal of Sarah in Children of a Lesser God, Marlee earned an Oscar for Best Actress.  This award was significant for a number of reasons.  The Best Actress category is typically a very competitive at the Oscars.  Beyond being a deaf actress, Marlee was the youngest recipient of the award in that category and still is to this date. It is also significant that she won the category with her film debut.  She is only one of four actresses to have done that so far.

Marlee continues to act today.  But it was the role of Dorothy in a children's play and the portrayal of Sarah that catapulted Marlee's career.  These events are inspiring to young and old actors alike.  Specifically, the deaf and hard of hearing community find her work and prominence in Hollywood to be important stepping stone to integrating more of their population into mainstream culture.  Because of the work Marlee did at a young age, actors such as Katie LeClerc and Sean Beardy, who are hard of hearing and deaf respectively, can find roles in Hollywood. Children who are deaf or hard of hearing watching these actors at home can relate to someone on the television.  It is by Marlee Matlin's body of work, that these children can be inspired to dream.

CITE: I'll Scream Later

Post 4

Though the origin of sign language and communication among the deaf community is unclear and anecdotal, today, American Sign Language is the fourth most taught language in the United States (http://vq.vassar.edu/issues/2003/02/features/american-sign-language.html).

One of the first things people learn to do when they are learning sign language is count to 10.  Just as when one writes, people have a dominant hand they sign with.  When are finger spelling and one handed signs, people will choose one hand to be the dominant hand.  The hand used does not change the sign meaning.

After choosing or identifying a dominant hand, use that hand to complete the actions.  All the numbers for one through ten are able to be done with one hand.  The first five counts are similar to how young children count on their hand.  When you are signing these numbers, the back of your hand should be facing the person you are signing.

For number one, you point your index finger up and curl your other fingers in a fist as indicated in the picture below.

For number two, you add your middle finger to the index finger while the other fingers remain in a fist.  Refer to the picture below for an example.

Number three is slightly different from what one might be inclined to do.  Rather than raising your ring finger, you should extend your thumb with your index and middle fingers as seen below.  This helps to show differentiation between "W" and "3."

Putting your thumb back down into your palm and raising your four fingers, you have signed the number four.  See the picture below for reference.

To change from the number four to the number five, simply unbend your thumb so all five digits are spread apart as pictured below.

The next four numbers are done with the signer's palm facing toward the listener. 

Number six is signed by placing the index, middle and ring fingers extended upward and bringing the pinky to touch the thumb touching in the middle.  See the picture below for reference.

The number seven is similar to signing the number six.  However, this time, you extend your pinky, middle and index fingers while the ring finger touches the thumb in the middle.

For the number eight, release your ring finger and touch your middle finger to your thumb while the other fingers are extended.

To move to the number nine, bring your index finger to touch your thumb and extend the other fingers as pictured.

Finally, the number ten requires some movement.  You will put your hand in a fist and extend your thumb as though you are giving a thumbs up.  Then, move your hand in this sign lightly shaking it in toward the other hand.  See the two pictures below for approximate movement.

This is only a very early lesson when learning American Sign Language.  Just as any other language, one must discover some of the nuances of dialect based on location.  Also, sentences are not constructed as one might speak them in English.  Although this can be a difficult task, learning American Sign Language is one way to connect with those who are deaf or hard of hearing.  Further, the beauty of movement is art in itself.

 

Post 3

From a young girl portraying Dorothy to the young woman fighting to watch Dorothy on the big screen, Marlee Matlin's love for The Wizard of Oz would hopefully be shared with her daughter.  After having fought for the right to watch said movie 19 years prior, watching the movie as it celebrates its 70th anniversary should have been easy.  In fact, Netflix was going to make watching the movie even easier by providing access to the movie online.  When Marlee and her five year old daughter sat down to watch the movie, Marlee was caught a bit off guard.  She would not be able to enjoy the movie with her daughter.  There was no closed captioning on Netflix.

 

At first Marlin believed that there may be an issue with the technology.  She thought that the technology for internet closed captioning did not exist at that time.  She was appalled to find that the technology did, in fact, exist.  Actually, the problem came down to the fact that content providers did not feel the need, push or desire to provide this accommodation.  Suddenly, Matlin felt like she was back 20 years earlier when she could not partake in the mainstream events.

 

As Matlin does not accept disappointment and unfair actions, she immediately began to fight.  Marlee again appealed to many members of congress lobbying for the deaf and hard of hearing.  She used many of her personal experiences to appeal to the law makers.  Specifically, Matlin remembered not being able to watch her performances and interviews from "Dancing with the Stars" because ABC posted them on the internet without captions.  Further, she recounted the ironic experience of being unable to see the broadcast of the Helen Keller statue because the event was streamed on CNN without captions. 

In the end, Matlin, yet again, found victory for those who are deaf or hard of hearing.  She was a part of the new law that requires web video to be captioned.  Further, the law requires that anything previously captioned must be converted for internet compatibility.

In a speech after lobbying in Washington, Matlin stated:

In the end, it’s not really rocket science.  It’s simply about making sure that millions upon millions of Americans who are deaf, hard of hearing, or otherwise differently abled are not shut out because broadband service and Internet content is not accessible, not available, or not affordable.  As I said earlier, for whatever reason, it seems that all the hard work that we did 20 years ago has virtually disappeared when it comes to updating access standards for broadband and the Internet.  Imagine Neal Armstrong watching a re-broadcast 20 years later, in 1989, of his first steps on the moon, only to find his words which echoed across the globe, “one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind,” were no longer there – erased, as if he had never been to the moon.  That’s how taking closed captions out of broadcast content now being shown on the Internet feels to millions of people like myself.

http://www.nad.org/issues/civil-rights/communications-act/21st-century-act/marlee-matlin-fcc-field-hearing-testimony

 

Beyond Deafness

Photo by Sharon Graphics

Before the age of two, little Marlee Matlin enjoyed singing and hearing herself make noise.  However, after some time, her family began to notice Marlee changing.  She no longer sang or babbled like a typical toddler.  After she was taken to the doctor, Marlee was diagnosed as deaf.  The cause was not certain, but the outcome was definitive.  Marlee would no longer hear the world as a typical human.

Her inability to hear the subtle noises and words of others did not hinder her in any way.  Marlee has since learned to read lips, speak with her hands and even speak aloud.  Some people believe that she has a handicap because she cannot hear, but Marlee would most definitely disagree.  This woman has gone on to be an Oscar winning actress and even a dancer on Dancing with the Stars.  Beyond that, Marlee is now fighting for the rights of those who cannot hear.

This blog will be based upon the life and work of Marlee Matlin.  Although there will inevitably be discussions on her accomplishments as an actress and as a person, I intend to further my research on her work with the deaf culture and other charitable organizations.  Those who know Marlee Matlin as "the deaf actress from the 70s" don't realize the work that she does in Washington to fight for closed captioning.  Marlee also works with Very Special Arts group to bring all types of art to those with disabilities.

Another part of this blog's purpose is to explore how those are labeled "disabled" must work to overcome the stereotypes.  I will use Marlee and her body of work as a prime example of people being able to overcome hardships and physical difficulties to live a full life.

Overall, you find on this blog information on Marlee Matlin and her life.  You will learn about the movies and television she has been a part of you, the obstacles she has overcome, the work she has done with the deaf culture, and the work she does for others.  Hopefully, you will agree that she is, in fact, inspirational without a sound.

(Photo Credit: http://flic.kr/p/6m1s74)