Abby DeBerry

UWRT 1101-088
October 2014
More than a Television Show:
Switched at Birth Implications from the Average Viewer

Introduction/Background
Imagine Adrienne, who is a sixteen-year-old deaf student, is very hesitant to start
high school in the fall. Over the summer, Adrienne was in a severe car accident that left
her without her hearing. She had to learn to live in a world that she no longer knew how
to communicate. Adrienne thought she had no choice but to go to the hearing high school
that she was currently enrolled. On the first day, all she could see was the rapid
movement of blurred bodies moving past her. Afraid of the challenges to come, Adrienne
scurries to her classes with her head down in order to get through the day.
Adrienne had watched Switched at Birth before but she thought re-watching the
first season could give her some insight on how to better handle her situation. Adrienne
and her mother started watching the show and learned that there are alternative schooling
options for the hard of hearing.
Even though Switched at Birth is a TV Drama, it has many factual aspects that
teach its audience about the Deaf Community. It has brought attention to a population
that does not get portrayed accurately in the media. Not everyone who watches the show
is deaf, but everyone can relate to some kind of family struggle that the show depicts.
Each episode challenges the audience to understand what it would be like to be deaf and
the trials and tribulations that go along with it. Throughout this paper we will examine the

implications of how the trailblazer show, Switched at Birth, continues to have an

impact on its audience and American Sign Language.
I believe it is necessary to establish my point of view on this topic before we
outline the implications of the show Switched at Birth. As a viewer, Switched at
Birth appealed to me because it represents what many people take for granted everyday;
some luxuries that others may not have. The environment that I was raised in allowed me
to witness many children that were not as fortunate as I was and that is why I can connect
with Switched at Birth on many different levels. More specifically, this paper will
examine the various implications of the show Switched at Birth and I wish to propose a
study that will gauge participants reactions to the show.

Review of Relevant Literature

Switched at Birth has exposed the deaf community in its entirety and has shined
the light on a culture that is often overlooked. (Stanhope 2012) The deaf population is
often not given the credit that is due and is wrongly depicted in many publications. Most
works that deaf actors are involved in are small roles with minimal lines that portray
inaccurate characteristics of the deaf community. The deaf community was never
portrayed accurately because the directors never really understood the culture or the
actors that were playing the part. (Buchwald, 2013) In contrast, Switched at Birth has
done the opposite and took the time to correctly display the deaf culture. I can contest to
the fact that the deaf society is not thought about or portrayed the right way. Sometimes, I
would act awkwardly around deaf people not knowing what I know now and about their
history. Previous to watching the show, I was never interested in learning more about
deaf history.

The show shines light on deaf history that deaf and hard of hearing youth today
had no idea about; such as the Deaf President Now movement and that Jean-Ferdinand
Berthier was one of the first deaf activist. The Deaf President Now movement was a
student protest at Gallaudet University in 1988 in which the student and staff shut down
the university so they could overcome past proceedings and appoint their first deaf
president. Many people did not know that there were deaf schools. Politicians didnt
make a point of visiting deaf schools. (Efron, 2014) Efron thought that the show was a
great informer of deaf history, Stanhope believed that there was a lot missing and some
information was overlooked, such as Gallaudet. (Stanhope, 2014) Gallaudet played a
huge role in the deaf communitys history because it was one of the most influential
events that helped push deaf people rights to where it is today. The most important
impact that Gallaudet had was that it affected deaf and hearing people alike. It made
known that the deaf could do anything that hearing people could do. It has shaped how
people view and treat the deaf community. I have observed that many people I have
talked to about the show know nothing about deaf history and the prestige of one of the
main characters, Marlee Matlin.
Marlee Matlin and Ryan Lane, both valued characters in Switched at Birth, are
able to speak on behalf of all deaf actors in the way that they have personally experienced
the disappointment in the lack of availability of castings for deaf actors. The fact that she
is one of few famous deaf actresses speaks to the fact that not many shows write for deaf
characters. She explains that the shows that do have deaf character only appear in one or
two episodes. Shows such as The X-Files, which had a deaf character appear for only two
episodes, and CSI, which had a deaf character for one episode, support her claim. Sean

Berdy, actor from Switched at Birth, confirms these ideas with acknowledging the
limited roles for deaf actors but sees the different effect that Switched at Birth has had.
After Switched at Birth started including deaf actors, a ripple effect began and more
and more job opportunities are coming forth. (Buchwald, 2013) Being its own example,
ABC Family has released that it will be adding more deaf characters to the series.
(Stanhope, 2012) I understand why directors dont incorporate deaf characters in their
work because the Deaf Community is such a small and specific population that many
people dont know about and therefore do not care to watch. People may not notice, but
sign language is another language that certain populations use everyday. In order to really
incorporate a deaf actor in modern film and television, music, action, and drama the
directors would have to use closed captioning which would require a new level of
participation on the part of the audience. Not many people want to pay attention to detail
or have to think that much when enjoying something that is supposed to be entertaining.
Aside from the progression of the deaf community in entertainment, the audience
of Switched at Birth loves the concepts and diversity that the show bring to television.
The cast has received many positive comments and responses from fans newly interested
in sign language. (Stanhope, 2012) Not only does the show effect its viewers in obvious
way from increased comments, but Gilles Marini recognizes the deeper level of how
people interact with people of all disabilities, especially the deaf, after watching the
show. Patience, understanding, and perspective are all internal evidence of the
monumental change this show is having on anyone who watches one episode. The fact
that I have chosen this issue to report on, gives indication of the influence the show has

had on me. I have noticed the little nuances that I now pick up on when interacting with
the people in my community. (DeBerry, 2014)

Entering the Conversation

People often have a closed mind about new situations that tend to develop into
awkwardness, uncertain feelings, and sometimes violence. We see this happen on
numerous occasions with people of different ethnic backgrounds or disabilities. I am at
fault myself for immediately treating people different that look different than me or have
something about them that I dont understand. Switched at Birth has put light on many
relatable society issues and it reflects on the variety of the people that watch. I will
propose a study that will assess the audience responses.
My study population will include deaf and hard of hearing people, users of
Americana Sign Language (ASL), non-users of ASL, teens, adults, elderly, and a various
of ethnic groups. My objective is to see if there is any correlation of reaction between any
of the study groups. My study area will include random interviews of specially selected
participants. Acquiring a list of people who watch the show from blogs and other social
media outlets will be apart of my selection process. I intend to actively participate in
social media to get gain followers and acquire participants. Participants may be selected
from schools, jobs, or even in malls. Another way to get potential candidates is to have a
booth in a mall. Strategies may include free giveaways and random prizes to attract
different types of people. Every interview will be recorded to best analyze the responses.
My approach to collecting data will be very flexible in order to accommodate various
types of people in different environments.

There will be no criteria for the participants in order to evaluate a range of

opinions. The design will have an extensive number of participants to make sure it covers
all demographics. Demographics will include people with other handicaps and their view
of the show. Analyzing procedures will include a panel of judges that will examine the
data and write extensive notes that will form into statistics. Technology will be used for
this experiment, such as recording devices for the interviews and computer for the data
analysis.
Another aspect of my study will include examinations of shows that have
incorporated a person that is deaf or hard of hearing. The analysis will include how big
the role of the character is and how they are portrayed. It will show the frequency in
which deaf characters are showed. From my experience, I predict that many television
shows will have one episode with a deaf person just to have some diversity but will not
make them a main character in the series. A reason that this might be so is because the
directors do not portray the Deaf Community as it should be portrayed. Directors depict
deaf characters as what the world sees on the outside rather than characterizing the
history of the deaf population.
In the interview, background questions will be asked to get a sense of the
participants demographic and questions that are more stimulating, such as how they
believe the Deaf Community is portrayed in the media. Questions will be asked in an
open manner that will encourage deep thought and concentration. Other influencing
shows will be mentioned to see how they responses compare. All answers will be
analyzed in the same manner and gathered for a final report.

Conclusion
The Americans with Disabilities Act has taken the steps necessary to make sure
that people of disability are participating in society and not discriminated against since
the act was passed in 1990. This has opened many doors for the hearing-impaired in the
entertainment business. Each episode of Switched at Birth challenges the audience to
understand what it would be like to be deaf and the trials and tribulations that go along
with it. The show has many diverse implications on the people that choose to watch the
show. It has contributed to awareness of the deaf community that otherwise would not
have been broadcasted. In order to gauge these reactions and the effect the show has had,
I propose a study to be conducted. The study will include many demographics and
procedures that will accurately analyze the data that we collected. This matters because
how else will we know the power that this television show has to influence its audience
and inform them. We will conduct this study to see if this show will or has made a
difference in a single life, family, community, or society. Switched at Birth is worthy
of the time because it appeals to all types of people. Yes, the main focus is on deaf people
but the characters surrounding the main deaf characters have a certain control over the
way they can make people feel and comprehend the message that they are trying to
convey. People gain knowledge about themselves and others around them. It does not
matter if someone has a disability or not. Switched at Birth teaches its audience to be
understanding and to reflect on their own lives. Is there any other show that can teach an
audience about an unknown culture yet relate to a variety of people of different ages?
This is why Switched at Birth is so unique.

Works Cited
Marlee Matlin: Do What You Have To Do [Personal interview]. (2010, 4).
Ryan Lane (Travis from Switched at Birth) Comes to UCF (1/4). (2013, March 31).
Retrieved October 15, 2014.
Stanhope, K. (2012, January 9). Switched at Birth Team Talks Series' Impact on the
Deaf Community. Retrieved October 15, 2014.
Kennish, K., & Weiss, L. (2012). Switched at birth the true story of a mother's
journey. New York: Hyperion.
Efron, A. (n.d.). Switched At Birth : Uprising Deaf Adult's Commentary. Retrieved
October 15, 2014.
Stanhope, K. (2014, August 18). Did Switched at Birth Go Too Far This Season?
Retrieved October 15, 2014.
Buchwald, L. (2013, February 26). 'Switched At Birth' Actors Talk TV's First
All-Sign Language Episode and Roles For Deaf Actors. Retrieved October
15, 2014.
'Switched at Births Marini Talks Show's Impact. (2013, January 4). Retrieved
October 15, 2014.