We don’t get to see many portrayals of disabled people in media
Which is odd considering about 15% of the entire world is disabled
And almost everyone will experience a disability at some point during their life
even if only temporarily
When a disability IS shown it tends to just be used as a plot device
Usually serving as some form of obstacle to be overcome
or fixed
And to be clear
I’m not saying stories that do this are always bad
But it did make this scene in Hawkeye really stand out
[Kazi, translating for Maya] “You rely too much on technology”
[Clint] Well
my go-to weapon is 2 sticks and a string
[Kazi] “No she means your hearing aid” [Clint] Ah
[Kazi] “You might find you're better off without it”
[Willow] We have Hawkeye who has become hard of hearing confronted by Maya who is Deaf
And she is chiding him for relying on technology to “fix” his disability
So in this video
I want to talk about the importance of disability representation in media
and why this scene is so significant
Before we get started I want to make it clear that I have a limited understanding of the
Deaf community
So please don’t hesitate to correct me if I get something wrong
I’m not an expert by any means
and what I do know is informed from listening to Deaf people online
a little bit of research and my own experiences being disabled
For example
I see a lot of similarities between the Deaf community
and the ideals of Neurodiversity
🎵Just what’s coming is hard to say I don’t know
[Willow] Before talking about Hawkeye let's look at some other examples of
disability in media
Starting with earlier phases of the Marvel Cinematic Universe
Doctor Strange is a surgeon who becomes disabled as a consequence for his actions
[Doctor Strange] What did they do?
[Willow] Which then leads him on his quest to get healed
Finding magic that could do so
he only decides not to heal himself seemingly as a reminder
Here the disability serves as a plot device
As Strange redeems himself he is effectively no longer disabled
Another example is Daredevil
When he becomes blind from an accident that spills chemicals onto him
He is also granted super senses
These new abilities go beyond what your average person can do with sight
This kind of story falls in line with the idea of being “differently abled”
rather than “disabled”
While the idea behind the phrase “differently abled” may be well intentioned as far as
trying to celebrate the wide range of human experience
it also is tied to this idea of learning to overcome and/or make something of your disability
Which we definitely see with Daredevil as well as lots of other media
For example
the autistic genius trope
These types of stories have an implication that disability is okay so long as you can
make use of it
Turn your supposed weakness into a strength kind of thing
Unfortunately
this can feed into the idea that if you’re unable to do so then you’ve somehow let
your disability define you
or hold you back
As if you’re taking on some sort of victim mentality versus recognizing your own limitations
due to your disability
I’m not saying don’t like these stories
I like a lot of them
My issue isn’t really the stories themselves
and more that they’re some of the only ones we see
The overreliance on the same tropes or stereotypes creates or reinforces misconceptions
and unhealthy attitudes
We most likely are going to take what’s shown in the media as some form of truth
Like
even if we know a topic must be more complicated than what has been shown to us
Without actively researching it ourselves
the media is going to affect our thoughts on it
And it’s not realistic to research everything that comes up
So unless we have personal experience with the specific disability portrayed
we aren’t going to notice how the media influences us around it
This is part of the reason I want to encourage engaging media with a deeper understanding
when it comes to disability because I know before a few years ago these are things
I would not have considered at all
So now let’s look at some other forms of media which are about deafness
You’ve probably seen some form of inspirational video in the past titled something like
“BABY HEARS FIRST SOUNDS”
or “BABY HEARS MOTHERS VOICE FOR THE FIRST TIME”
[Reporter] For the first time in 6 months
baby can listen to her Mother’s voice
[Willow] Who doesn’t want to be excited for a baby having a positive experience?
But the cochlear implant being used here is actually pretty controversial
in the Deaf community
Yet we never really see that viewpoint earnestly
In this awful episode of House
when Deafness is mentioned as a culture it is immediately shot down
with a quip from Foreman
[Foreman] Anything I can simulate with a 3-dollar pair of ear plugs is not a culture
[Willow] In Scrubs
we at least get a little bit of empathy for the dad who doesn’t want
a cochlear implant for his son
[Turk] You know it’s weird
he doesn’t seem like a bad dad
He really loves that kid
[Willow] But ultimately both of these shows
or the inspirational baby video imply there is only one correct option
They’re basically saying
“Don’t you want baby to be happy? ”
At least
I know that was my takeaway when I first saw these
I got to feel self righteous feeling I knew the right thing to do
and that it was laughable some Deaf people would make such an irrational decision
And I had lived around a large Deaf community before
So let’s actually talk about that other perspective
🎵And it may smell but we like that stink
[Willow] Let's start by taking a look at cochlear implants
What's not to like about a technology that converts sound to electrical signals
for someone's brain?
There are 2 main issues that I could find
First
they are painted as a magic bullet
Take the baby video
it implies you get this surgery
and then VOILA you can hear!
But it’s not quite that simple
For starters
Cochlear implants don’t work for everyone
And many people who receive an implant decide to stop using them
Which seems to suggest the device wasn’t giving them much benefit
Although some did stop due to side effects like facial twitching
post-surgery scarring
stigma and pain from the device
Cochlear implants also don’t fully replicate hearing
Results can vary quite a bit
and some people hear no improvement at all
If you’re living somewhere like the United States it can be pretty expensive
Without insurance
the average cost can be between $30,000 and $50,000
And sometimes the device stops working
meaning you need a replacement later on
Like any surgery there are possible complications
For example
some patients develop meningitis which is an infection of the fluid around the brain
It is extremely rare
but some patients have died from it
For someone born Deaf it takes extensive training to interpret the sounds
to understand spoken language
Which brings us to the second issue
Getting an implant and learning to speak is often presented as a strict binary choice
in opposition to learning sign language
There’s no reason a child couldn’t learn both sign language AND verbal language
if they receive an implant
but there is often a strong push from implant teams
and manufacturers to only focus on verbal language
Sometimes even pushing parents to sign contracts promising to avoid teaching sign language
to their child at all
This is concerning because if a child is not exposed to enough language
while they are younger they can be at risk for language deprivation
This affects their cognitive skills
mental health and more
Learning sign language removes that risk
and is easier to start with since it won’t take as much intensive training
as verbal language with implants
Most parents will struggle to find the time to get enough training in
and will not have the money to get additional help
And I want to emphasize I don’t think this is the fault of most parents
When you consider that 96% of deaf children are born to hearing parents
we have to understand that they will likely be stressed
and completely out of their depth in what to do
So if parents are informed that sign language should be a last resort
and verbal language should be pursued at all costs
it’s not surprising that’s what they would do
This seems like a lot of risk though based on the assumption that sign language is somehow less
because there is not evidence supporting sign language gets in the way
of learning verbal language
All of this is even more complicated when talking about implants for young children
who will be unable to give consent
Because it’s one thing as an adult to take a risk
or modify your body in any way you want
but it’s completely different when the decision is being made for you
This is something I found alarming revisiting the medical shows I mentioned earlier
In Scrubs
they go around the Dad to get permission from the Mom
and there’s never any communication with the kid at all who is clearly old enough to
have an opinion on the matter
In House
the child was adamant he wanted to remain deaf
and of course House ignores that wish
[Loud noises and devices beeping]
[Willow] Cause you know it’s funny when a doctor is so smart
TM [ding]
to act against the wishes of a patient
Although I suppose that is accurate since the medical industry has a huge issue with
not believing patients especially when it comes to women
and black people
The show even shows the mom as being in the wrong for ever supporting her child’s wishes
to stay deaf
and she overrules him at the end
[Mom] I’m your mother
This is my call
And I don’t know if I’m making the right one
but it’s mine to make
I cannot stress enough how AWFUL this episode is
It goes out of its way to portray pride in being Deaf as silly
and wrong
Unfortunately
there’s a long history of this dismissive
and harmful mindset known as oralism
Looking back to 1867
all deaf schools used sign language
However
by 1918 a whopping 80% of deaf students were educated orally instead
This sweeping change was in large part due to sign language being actively demonized
by Alexander Graham Bell
You probably remember him as the guy that invented the telephone
Even though he actually stole it from this guy
Antonio Meucci
An Italian immigrant who couldn’t afford the $10 to renew his one-year impending patent
Bell made it his mission to get rid of sign language
which he referred to as
“a language that made the deaf less than human
on the level of indigenous people
or simply primates ”
[Willow] He worried that if deaf people began socializing they would intermarry
and create in his words
"a defective race"
[Willow] See
Bell grew up with a mother who had become deaf later in life
and he admired her ability to blend in with the hearing world
So he seemed to think every deaf person should be like his mom
This meant pushing all deaf people to blend in by focusing on learning how to lip-read
and speak
Even though pushing oralism left about 9 out of 10 deaf children behind in school
Bell didn’t just stop there though
he advocated for eugenics
Saying the following at a speech given at the National Deaf-Mute college:
“I am sure that there is no one among the deaf who desires to have his affliction
handed down to his children”
[Willow] I can tell you it’s not great to hear this
As an autistic adult I’ve heard similar things in recent years from people assuming
I would not want my kids to be autistic like me
What’s really troubling is Bell thought he was helping
He even had a deaf wife that he had 4 children with
See
Bell thought it was okay for deaf people to have children so long as it wasn’t hereditary
and his wife Mabel didn’t become deaf until she was 5 from scarlet fever
So just in case you were worried
Bell was consistent with his eugenics [Wow]
Mabel never publicly disagreed with any of her husband’s speeches
or writings
And she never identified as Deaf
She prided herself on being able to blend in like someone that could hear
Yet when she was nearing death from cancer
she wrote to her daughter Elsie
[Aranock reading] "Having taught you all my life to forget that I was deaf
I now want you to remember it"
[Willow] It makes me sad to think she lived her whole life trying to live to
everyone else’s expectations
Trying to fit in
And this to me is at the heart of the problem focusing on fixing disability
Bell and others like him never seem to stop and consider
whether or not this is what the people with those lived experiences actually want
And we see this with many disabilities like autism
or down syndrome
The focus becomes on eliminating these differences
Both through preventing future children from being born as well as
teaching those already here to blend in
But it doesn’t have to be this way
Which brings us back to Hawkeye
🎵Then Hawkeye hit the bullseye there’s no better shot than you
[Hawkeye actor] Right!
[Willow] In Hawkeye we get to meet Maya
A Deaf character who is proud of their Deaf culture
We see this in how she risks unbinding Clint’s hands here
because she believes he is also Deaf
and she wants to give him access to their shared language
Clint in return respects that culture
He doesn’t take advantage of this moment
[Clint] Oh uh yeah
Sorry Hard of hearing
not Deaf
[Willow] If you’re not familiar with Deaf culture
you may just think Clint is talking about his medical condition here
but he’s also giving information about his identity
Because someone hard of hearing can be Deaf
With a capital D
But Clint is not
Deaf when spelled with a capital D signifies being of Deaf culture
while deaf with a lowercase d means someone who cannot hear
You can even be part of Deaf culture if you are fully hearing like a Child of Deaf Adults
We also see many characters treat Maya like an equal
Most importantly we are shown her childhood where she is fully accepted by her father
In fact we explicitly see the importance of
BOTH the Deaf and hearing world
[Maya’s Dad] You have to learn to jump between 2 worlds
[Willow] The show even handles Clint’s hearing loss respectfully
and with acceptance
[Willow] He is supported by Kate Bishop when she helps him navigate this call with his son
[Clint] What? Nathaniel? Nathaniel!
[Willow] We also see Clint and his family have been learning ASL
[Nathaniel] I love you dad [Clint] I love you more
[Willow] And I’m sure these portrayals were better because both the actors
really live with these disabilities
Alaqua Cox who plays Maya is deaf
Jeremy Renner playing Clint is hard of hearing
Hawkeye is a good step in the right direction that I hope we see more of because our culture
which includes the media we consume gives us messages that we internalize
Sometimes that can be stereotypes
or misconceptions about others that can lead to harm
And other times the messages can lead to negative thoughts about ourselves
Almost everyone will experience a disability some time during their life
and many will not recover fully
Which is why it’s so important to see stories that aren’t just about overcoming
or fixing disabilities
Not only is acceptance better for others
but it could be crucial for ourselves
And acceptance in no way means denying the difficulties that do exist
In Hawkeye
Maya’s father is accepting
but it doesn’t change the challenges she faces at school
and other aspects of her life
[Maya signs] I thought I was going to school with kids like me?
[Maya Dad] That’s impossible
[Maya signs] But you said we could pay for the deaf school
[Maya Dad] I’m sorry
[Willow] Maya feels alone
like an outsider
Clint is clearly still adapting to his hearing changing
[Clint] You know I’m gonna be there
like I said right?
I am so happy to hear your voice
[Willow] We can feel the frustration
and desperation when he is unable to communicate the way he wants
especially to someone he loves
This is important because sometimes there is confusion surrounding identities
or pride related to disabilities
People on the outside may assume this is sugar coating disability
but not at all
Acceptance seeks to empower
and allow each individual to decide what they need help with
or how they want to change if possible
Acceptance of disability means centering disabled people
Rather than ignore suffering
It takes a more critical look at it
Where is the suffering coming from?
If it’s societal then why don’t we change that?
There’s also a good chance a change that helps one group of people will benefit everyone
For example
a ramp doesn’t just help someone with a wheelchair
Where I went to school there was a large Deaf community
and it helped my social anxiety to be able to write things down to make a food order
which was a standard around that city
That's actually why we need more stories that question the idea that disability
just needs to be fixed
It’s good for everyone
🎵Things look dark but I know this can’t be the end
[Willow] There is a lot of pressure in this world to always be productive
and I don’t think that’s healthy for any of us
but can be extra difficult when we’re disabled
No one should have to feel like a failure just because they can’t live up to expectations
that were designed without them in mind
Learning acceptance rejects this and allows us to still be proud of our identity
and ourselves
And honestly that can be life-saving
I hope this video has helped articulate why focusing on fixing disabilities can be harmful
no matter how well intentioned it may be
I wouldn’t want to not be autistic
and it sucks to hear people talking about autism as if it should be eliminated
Does that I mean I don’t struggle?
Absolutely not
But to follow the logic of disability = suffering
and since we want less suffering we should get rid of disability
really is just an argument for removing diversity
Because in our current society everyone would suffer less if they were just able-bodied
white cisgender males that are right-handed and of average height
and so on
You get the point
And if you struggle to grasp why some of us would not simply get rid of our disabilities
I suggest looking for communities related to them
because I think you’ll often be surprised
That doesn’t mean some people wouldn’t want to be rid of their disability
but you can’t advocate for getting rid of something universally
and ignore the impact that has on everyone else
Instead of painting disability as something that must always be fixed
why don’t we address the issues that make living disabled difficult
Which means tackling problems like a culture of constant mistrust
and worry that someone might get help that isn’t needed
We all need help all the time
Why don’t we just acknowledge that some people will need more support
and that’s okay
[Person offscreen asking] What are your thoughts that in the movies he isn’t hard of hearing?
Because I think that was a big issue to me because I’m such a huge fan of the comics
And I thought that it really brought a lot of diversity in the comic world and
to not have in the movies was a little sad
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I usually try to include a small shout out at the end of these videos with small creators
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but I could really use some suggestions
So if you know of any awesome small creators please let us know in the comments!
Take care of yourselves
And remember
You're not alone