Too often, young people who are deaf are discouraged from following their dreams. They are told "you can't..." or "you won't be able to..." and they are pushed to into careers that they are not passionate about.
In reality, however, there are very few jobs Deaf people "can't" do, especially once small adjustments are made to accommodate their specific skills and abilities. At the end of the day, our society limits people more than the actual experience of deafness ever could.
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#DeafTalent is a cultural movement that is gaining traction in all areas of life. Talented Deaf individuals in fields across the board are working to defy social expectations, remove barriers, and prove that there are NO limits to what people who are deaf can do. My Deaf siblings and young nieces deserve every opportunity to manifest their own destiny and accomplish their own goals without suffering the prejudice of previous generations. It's time for people to open their minds to the endless potential of our diverse population.
To explore the many facets of DeafTalent, I went right to the source: the Deaf community. Individuals working in a number of different fields were eager to communicate a message of Deaf empowerment. This is part II of an ongoing series about Deaf Talent in America; be sure to check out Part I and follow along for future installments!
John Maucere, Actor and Creator of SuperDeafy
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Inspirations:
Growing up in Hollywood and being heavily influenced by the lifestyle, I became inspired to be in the entertainment industry. It seemed exciting watching people talk about the movie or theatre industry and to see them be entertained. In addition, I grew up attending social events at Deaf clubs to see my mother perform on stage. Back then, there were no communicative technologies such as phones and computers, and even more so, there was no captioning on Television. I was constantly left to imagine scenarios as I observed hearing people around me chatting away, watching TV shows and figuring out what had happened and so forth. I started to become the entertainment for my Deaf family, and discovered that I loved making them laugh. I enjoyed socializing and telling stories growing up. I also reveled in impersonating people such as my friends and teachers at school.
The more I became involved in entertainment, the more, my world opened up. Acting took me to places I never thought I would see and allowed me to travel the world, connecting with people from all walks of life. I realized then that it didn't matter what country we were from, because in the end, we were from the same country: A deaf country. Acting is in my heart. It's my passion, and it gives me joy to entertain others. I am able to share my experiences as a deaf person through an indirect medium, in which people can relate, and learn from one another.
Barriers:
Some of the biggest barriers I have in the entertainment industry include being offered roles that must include the ability to speak to conform to hearing society, and ignorant stereotypes about deaf people. Opportunities for deaf roles are limited especially through television and movies. Instead of waiting for sparse roles to come by, I create opportunities for myself such as The John Maucere Show, No Ordinary Hero: the SuperDeafy Movie, DEAFYWOOD to name a few. I also developed characters such as SuperDeafy and Mr. SeeTerp.
Deaf Advantage:
In the Deaf community, yes, it is an advantage because we share common experiences and can relate to skits and jokes regardless of where we live. The language of the Deaf is American Sign Language, which means that facial expressions and body movements are key components of our every day language. As a deaf actor it comes easily for me to be expressive. Furthermore, as a Deaf person that uses sign l
In reality, however, there are very few jobs Deaf people "can't" do, especially once small adjustments are made to accommodate their specific skills and abilities. At the end of the day, our society limits people more than the actual experience of deafness ever could.
#DeafTalent is a cultural movement that is gaining traction in all areas of life. Talented Deaf individuals in fields across the board are working to defy social expectations, remove barriers, and prove that there are NO limits to what people who are deaf can do. My Deaf siblings and young nieces deserve every opportunity to manifest their own destiny and accomplish their own goals without suffering the prejudice of previous generations. It's time for people to open their minds to the endless potential of our diverse population.
To explore the many facets of DeafTalent, I went right to the source: the Deaf community. Individuals working in a number of different fields were eager to communicate a message of Deaf empowerment. This is part II of an ongoing series about Deaf Talent in America; be sure to check out Part I and follow along for future installments!
John Maucere, Actor and Creator of SuperDeafy
Inspirations:
Growing up in Hollywood and being heavily influenced by the lifestyle, I became inspired to be in the entertainment industry. It seemed exciting watching people talk about the movie or theatre industry and to see them be entertained. In addition, I grew up attending social events at Deaf clubs to see my mother perform on stage. Back then, there were no communicative technologies such as phones and computers, and even more so, there was no captioning on Television. I was constantly left to imagine scenarios as I observed hearing people around me chatting away, watching TV shows and figuring out what had happened and so forth. I started to become the entertainment for my Deaf family, and discovered that I loved making them laugh. I enjoyed socializing and telling stories growing up. I also reveled in impersonating people such as my friends and teachers at school.
The more I became involved in entertainment, the more, my world opened up. Acting took me to places I never thought I would see and allowed me to travel the world, connecting with people from all walks of life. I realized then that it didn't matter what country we were from, because in the end, we were from the same country: A deaf country. Acting is in my heart. It's my passion, and it gives me joy to entertain others. I am able to share my experiences as a deaf person through an indirect medium, in which people can relate, and learn from one another.
Barriers:
Some of the biggest barriers I have in the entertainment industry include being offered roles that must include the ability to speak to conform to hearing society, and ignorant stereotypes about deaf people. Opportunities for deaf roles are limited especially through television and movies. Instead of waiting for sparse roles to come by, I create opportunities for myself such as The John Maucere Show, No Ordinary Hero: the SuperDeafy Movie, DEAFYWOOD to name a few. I also developed characters such as SuperDeafy and Mr. SeeTerp.
Deaf Advantage:
In the Deaf community, yes, it is an advantage because we share common experiences and can relate to skits and jokes regardless of where we live. The language of the Deaf is American Sign Language, which means that facial expressions and body movements are key components of our every day language. As a deaf actor it comes easily for me to be expressive. Furthermore, as a Deaf person that uses sign l