# data[].attributes.headline
Tiktok’s Digital Eugenics: Challenging Ableism and Algorithmic Erasure Through Disability Activism

# data[].attributes.subject
Tiktok’s Digital Eugenics: Challenging Ableism and Algorithmic Erasure Through Disability Activism

# data[].attributes.body
With over 100 million users in the United States and nearly two billion downloads worldwide, TikTok is currently dominating our media space. Unfortunately, it is also rife with ableism both from the users, but perhaps more concerningly, the app itself. This article discusses the various horrifying TikTok trends and challenges that users have been participating in that openly mock people with disabilities in various ways. Equally concerning is the lack of moderation from the app itself when it comes to addressing these popular challenges. Still, worst of all is the opposite direction TikTok moderation has taken where disabled content creators and activists find their accounts shadowbanned, and thus their videos are essentially hidden from the vast majority of viewers. This practice of restricting the social media reach of people with disabilities is purportedly done to 'protect' them, but as this article argues, it is actually more akin to "a type of digital eugenics."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Recent #challenge videos on TikTok exhibit ableist and eugenicist attitudes.

This past summer, a viral back-to-school TikTok prank amassed millions of views and accusations of creating ableist attitudes online. In the #NewTeacher challenge, parents set up a fake FaceTime with their child's "new teacher" using TikTok's Green Screen feature and capture their child's humorous reaction. While some videos featured a model or celebrity as the "new teacher," many parents chose to use photos of people with facial difference and other apparent disabilities. The parents laugh as their child screams, cries, and vocalizes their disgust about how their "new teacher" is disabled and ugly. Though disability activists with facial difference used their platforms to collectively speak out against the #NewTeacher challenge's ableism, those who reported the videos were told that there were no violations of TikTok's guidelines. My choice not to include #AutismChallenge and #NewTeacher challenge videos in this column is deliberate. By including sample videos, the spectacle of ableist and eugenicist attitudes on the app are centered and therefore naturalized. I instead chose to feature videos by disability activists who use TikTok as a platform for community building and engagement in spite of algorithmic suppression.

Created by the Chinese company ByteDance, TikTok has been downloaded nearly 2 billion times since its 2016 inception and is host to over 100 million users in the United States. The micro-vlogging app is no stranger to controversial, viral challenges. In May 2020, the #AutismChallenge surfaced, where users uploaded videos of themselves making facial expressions and hand gestures that "appeared to parody people with [autism and other] disabilities," all to the tune of The Black Eyed Pea's "Let's Get R-." The videos collectively received millions of views and criticism from autistic TikTok users, influencers, and media outlets alike before videos tagged under #AutismChallenge were removed from the app.[ 1] These ableist, dehumanizing TikTok trends surfaced months after the platform came under fire for hiding disabled users' content while simultaneously failing to remove videos that mock disabled people. It is clear that the app's governance imagines a social media site where disabled people do not exist: a type of digital eugenics. My coinage of digital eugenics refers to how TikTok and other social media platforms rely on the use of algorithmic coding that literally erase the possibility for disabled, queer, trans, and fat users from full participation and visibility on a social media network.

Social media algorithms are not neutral technologies: through meticulous coding practices, social media networks use algorithms as ideological tools to convey the guidelines for citizenship and belonging on the internet.[ 2] For instance, if disability is represented as something negative offline, such beliefs, representations, and tropes will influence the development and design of digital platforms. My belief that algorithms are an ideological tool used to support dominant offline cultural practices is not novel: algorithms reproduce anti-Blackness and misogynoir on Google and other search engines.[ 3] These coding practices replicate racial biases online while claiming to fix them and are used to track and police poor folks' use of the internet.[ 4] Likewise, these same algorithms promote content and hashtag networks that further online ableism (as seen with TikTok's #NewTeacher challenge and #AutismChallenge).

One way TikTok and other social media platforms regularly enforce digital eugenics is through shadowbanning (also referred to as "shadowban" or "soft block"). Shadowbanning is an increasingly popular practice used to hide and suppress the visibility of user's content without formal notice-even if the account is open to a digital public. Popular users on a social networking app may suddenly discover that likes, comments, shares, and overall engagement with their content no longer reflects a larger follower count. Once a platform flags an account and places it under a shadowban, users may be unable to use hashtags to promote their posts. Shadowbans are not random, isolated, or coincidental; rather, they are intentional and deliberate. The use of shadowbanning strategies are intended to surveil and control marginalized communities. They are reflections of our own offline cultural beliefs about who "naturally" belongs, and who does not.

Such practices are embedded into the core of TikTok's governance. For example, the network's "Auto R" moderation guidelines mark certain vulnerable or minoritized user populations into "risk groups" as a means to prevent cyberbullying. For example, disabled people are placed into a "Risk 4" category, meaning that any videos that the account posts are only available to other accounts based in the same country. Instead of reaching a global audience of over 1 billion users, a disabled TikToker whose account is flagged under "Risk 4" may have extremely low engagement with their content, even if they host several thousand followers on their page. As of September 2019, TikTok also flagged any account that discussed disability into an Auto R risk group (specifically autistic users and users with facial difference).

For disabled users who are also fat, queer, trans, and/or poor, the Auto R shadowban measures may subject these accounts to further "risk" protections that will hide, censor, or eliminate their accounts from being featured on the app's #ForYou home page, where many accounts gather viral acclaim. An August 2020 video from Imani Barbarin (@crutches_and_spice), a Black queer disability writer and digital activist, acknowledged the ways that TikTok's various risk labels engage in intersectional suppression to censor multiply minoritized users: "I saw TikTok as a way to reach gen z, millennials, and older millennials about ableism and issues in the disability community... I knew going into [using TikTok] that TikTok suppresses the videos of Black, disabled, fat, and queer people, and I am all of those things." Though the company claimed that the Auto R measures were a temporary fix to counter cyberbullying when TikTok rose to global prominence, the feature remains, demarcating which bodies are exceptional and worthy of viral attention, and which should be erased.

@crutches_and_spice
To the people that brought it to my attention I may be sh@dowb@nned. ##lgbt ##thicc
♬ original sound - Crutches&Spice ♿️ :

Imani Barbarin (@crutches_and_spice) addresses nearly 30,000 followers about being shadowbanned.

My criticism of TikTok's digital eugenics and algorithmic infrastructure should not be read as total skepticism for the app as a site of community building and disability activism. Top videos tagged under #disability feature disabled accounts using their platforms to educate thousands of followers about operating a mobility device or scripts for talking about disability and ableism. For example, Lizzie Velasquez (@littlelizziev) whose image was frequently used in the #NewTeacher Challenge, has used her platform to ignite conversations about disability, facial difference, and stigmatization. In one video, captioned "#duet with @dr.allison.rodgers Teaching a child about kindness & empathy starts with a conversation as simple as this! #newteacherchallenge #bekind ", Velasquez is shown on the left half of the screen as she watches a parent and her child talking positively about Lizzie's photo and the cruelty of #NewTeacher challenge.

Lizzie Velasquez (@littlelizziev)'s duet with a follower who spoke out against the #NewTeacher challenge: "It's as simple as this!"

Disabled TikTokers also spoke out against the platform's "Risk 4" shadowbanning practices that purposefully target and hide disabled users' content. In one video, model Jess Quinn (@jessicaemily.quinn) dances as she removes her prosthetic leg and shows off her rotationplasty. The video, captioned: "Hey TikTok, what's that you said about people with disabilities being shadowbanned to 'protect them?' We're fine, thanks. #allbodieswelcomehere." Quinn's video went viral, garnering over 375,000 likes.

@jessicaemily.quinn
Hey TikTok, what's that you say about people with disabilities being shadowbanned to "protect them"? We're fine, thanks. ##allbodieswelcomehere
♬ CHAMPION - Bishop Briggs

Jess Quinn (@jessicaemily.quinn) dances as she removes her prosthetic limb in response to TikTok claiming that Auto R algorithms are used to "protect" disabled users from cyberbullying.

TikTok's disability activism is uniquely resilient: on a platform that simultaneously suppresses disabled voices while permitting viral challenges that are predicated on eugenicist logics, disabled users continue to find ways to thrive, educate, and build community. For many disabled people, social media platforms like TikTok facilitate possibilities for survival.

Image Credits:

1. Recent #challenge videos on TikTok exhibit ableist and eugenicist attitudes.

2. Imani Barbarin (@crutches_and_spice) addresses nearly 30,000 followers about being shadowbanned.

3. Lizzie Velasquez (@littlelizziev)'s duet with a follower who spoke out against the #NewTeacher challenge: "It's as simple as this!"

4. Jess Quinn dances as she removes her prosthetic limb in response to TikTok claiming that Auto R algorithms are used to "protect" disabled users from cyberbullying.

References:

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.authors[].name
Jessica Sage Rauchberg / McMaster University

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
TikTok's Digital Eugenics: Challenging Ableism and Algorithmic Erasure through Disability ActivismJessica Sage Rauchberg / McMaster University

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Recent #challenge videos on TikTok exhibit ableist and eugenicist attitudes. This past summer, a viral back-to-school TikTok prank amassed millions of views and accusations of creating ableist attitudes online. In the #NewTeacher challenge, parents set up a fake FaceTime with their child's "new teacher" using TikTok's Green Screen feature and capture their child's humorous reaction.

# data[].attributes.body
During a performance of Hadestown, an audience member was using an accessibility device, and was called out by an actor. The actor was ignorant of the ways that people who are hard of hearing or have auditory processing problems. The actor assumed that the individual was illegally recording the show, but in fact the audience member was just trying to enjoy their show.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
UPDATE, with device information The producers of Broadway's and Jujamcyn Theaters have apologized to an audience member with hearing loss whose use of a captioning device, provided by the theater, drew repeated onstage reprimands from one of the musical's stars who mistakenly assumed the device was recording the performance.

Audience member Samantha Coleman posted a tearful Instagram video last night describing the "horrifying and embarrassing experience" of being called out by Lillias White from the stage "not once but twice, at least." She said the incident was both hurtful and "super embarrassing" and left her feeling "ostracized and publicly ridiculed."

Coleman, who was seated in the front row at the Jujamcyn-owned Walter Kerr Theatre, acknowledged that she didn't believe White acted out of malice but rather misunderstanding. "But we still need to talk about it," Coleman said.

White joined the show just last month, succeeding André De Shields in the role of Hermes. She has not commented on the incident.

Watch Coleman's Instagram video below.

In a statement provided to Deadline, the musical's producers, along with Jujamcyn, affirmed their "commitment to accessibility in all forms."

"The incident yesterday is a reminder that this is an ongoing process needing constant revisiting and renewal," the statement continues. "Providing access is also about educating everyone in the theater about how we can be more supportive. We are reviewing our policies and internal protocols to ensure this doesn't happen again.

"We extend our deepest apologies to Samantha," it continues, "and extend our gratitude to her for sharing her experience so that it can be addressed."

A spokesperson for Hadestown said the production "also connected directly with Samantha earlier today to convey their apologies and thank her directly for bringing this to their attention."

Coleman didn't initially identify the type of captioning device she used, but later posted on social media that the device was provided by the theater. Though many Broadway theaters are equipped with relatively new captioning technology that can be accessed via smarthphones - most widely the Shubert-owned GalaPro system - Coleman said she was not using her smartphone. She posted a photo of a similar device she recently used at a production of Into The Woods:

Just to clarify - Hadestown does not offer GalaPro, the mobile app patrons can download to view captions. Many shows do have the app! Hadestown has a captioning device at the theatre & can be used by a phone, and it was what I used. Here's a photo of my device from ITW. https://t.co/L3e9fpiaGS pic.twitter.com/ZLZ75dE9qI
- Samantha (@SamanthColeman) October 13, 2022

In a written statement accompanying her Instagram video, Coleman writes that she went public with the incident to "prevent another horrifying and embarrassing experience for someone else." She called the experience "my worst fear, and it was realized. i don't know if/when i'll feel comfortable using a captioning devices again."

Theater, she writes, "systemically is an exclusionary space for people who are disabled, has always been. this is just shining a light to that. if we do not address the underlying issues of inequality in theatre, we will never truly progress as an industry. we are just now reaching the technological peak, where tech can allow more people to see & understand theatre. as we continue to make inclusionary progress in the audience tech, how do we create an equitable experience for every person in the building? can we push ourselves, to strive to do better? can we allow everyone to experience theatre?"

Read More About:
JavaScript is required to load the comments.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
'Hadestown' & Jujamcyn Theaters Apologize And Reaffirm "Commitment To Accessibility" After Actor Calls Out Audience Member With Hearing Loss Using Captioning Device

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
UPDATE, with device information The producers of Broadway's Hadestown and Jujamcyn Theaters have apologized to an audience member with hearing loss whose use of a captioning device, provided by the theater, drew repeated onstage reprimands from one of the musical's stars who mistakenly as...

# data[].attributes.headline
Why the "Disabled Villain" Trope is So Offensive

# data[].attributes.subject
Why the "Disabled Villain" Trope is So Offensive

# data[].attributes.body
The Disabled Villain is a trope that has been with movies and television since essentially the inception of the medium, and unfortunately is still one of the most common ways disability is represented in our popular culture. This video by the feminist youtube channel "The Take", argues that disability is used by film and television as a metaphor for evil or moral failing and denies disabled characters their fundamental humanity by relegating their role in the story to nothing more than a foil for able-bodied heroes. Furthermore, if the backstory of a disabled villain is explored by the writers of a show or movie it is extremely common that the "fallen hero" trope is employed to tell the story of a once able bodied hero who became a villain upon becoming disabled and in some way now seeks to enact revenge upon able bodied people. These representations in media have real ramifications for people with disabilities which this video addresses by highlighting the organization Changing Faces and their social media campaign called "I am not your villain."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Why the "Disabled Villain" Trope is So Offensive

# data[].attributes.body
Slowly, very slowly, people are making waves for disability visibility in media. By actually casting people who have disabilities,  it will normalize having the conditions. The organization About Time has 5 requests to improve conditions and improve situations for actors who do not fit into societies definition of "normal"

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Since Jack Thorne gave a damning indictment of how the U.K. TV industry has dealt with disability during his keynote MacTaggart Lecture at last year's Edinburgh TV Festival, the subject has become a major talking point.

Just over a year on, and a newly-announced performance event is now hoping to force change for deaf, disabled and neurodivergent talent currently working in the British creative industries.

About Time!, set to take place at BAFTA's London headquarters on Oct. 28 with BAFTA-nominated actor Ruth Madeley ( Years and Years) hosting, will feature 10 deaf, disabled and neurodivergent actors, musicians and performers. As part of the event, five key commitments to support systemic change within the industry have been announced as part of the continued drive to "increase visibility and opportunity for talent on and off screen," with invited guests asked to commit to making one or a number of suggested agreements as part of accepting the invitation to attend.

The five commitments are as follows:

1. Cast a deaf, disabled and/or neurodivergent as a lead or co-lead performer in a new show

2. Develop a new title around a deaf, disabled and/or neurodivergent actor

3. Cast a returning drama with deaf, disabled and/or neurodivergent actors in key roles/as a lead role

4. Apply a one in five rule for talent meetings and castings to improve the opportunities for deaf, disabled or neurodivergent talent

5. Schedule meetings with each of the actors taking part in About Time!

About Time! was devised and created by executive producer and industry veteran Sara Johnson, from Bridge06, and award-winning production partners Clare-Louise English and Jo Sargeant from Hot Coals Productions, in partnership with the ITV, ITV Studios and the Walt Disney Company UK & Ireland.

"This event was born out of conversations with Sam Tatlow, ITV's creative diversity partner, both of us keen to address and tackle the misconceptions and repeated excuses of an industry who are still asking, 'Where are the talent and are they any good?'," said Johnson. "We were incredibly pleased when Disney also wanted to get on board and from that strong partnership Clare and Jo at Hot Coals Productions were able to forge ahead, powered by their own lived experience of the barriers."

Added Clare-Louise English and Jo Sargeant of Hot Coals Productions: "This is not the first time our community has asked for better opportunities, these conversations have been happening for decades, but it's only now that the industry seems ready to listen. There is a thirst for more inclusive work and diverse characters."

Said Johanna Devereaux, vice president of scripted and diversity, equity and inclusion strategy at The Walt Disney Company, EMEA: "We are incredibly proud to support this talented and passionate group in celebrating deaf, disabled and neurodivergent artists. As we ramp up our U.K. and European productions, Disney+ is committed to fostering a more inclusive, accessible U.K. TV industry, both on- and off-screen."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Lack of Disabled Representation in U.K. TV to Be Addressed at New Event Backed by Disney, ITV

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Since Jack Thorne gave a damning indictment of how the U.K. TV industry has dealt with disability during his keynote MacTaggart Lecture at last year's Edinburgh TV Festival, the subject has become a major talking point.

# data[].attributes.headline
John Travolta Blackmailed because of Disabled Son 

# data[].attributes.subject
John Travolta Blackmailed because of Disabled Son 

# data[].attributes.body
Travolta and his wife lost their 16-year old son. They were blackmailed and threaten to reveal their sons condition that the two were trying to hide. They revealed that their son was autistic and suffered from a seizure disorder. This making it seem that they were embarrassed and that disabilities should be something to hide.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
What is the shape of disability activism? There is a lot of natural variation in the large and diverse disabled population, and many different opinions among the smaller core of committed disability activists.

But there are some beliefs, positions, and mindsets that shape the community of individuals and organizations loosely referred to as "Disability Activism." They aren't exactly boundaries or litmus tests. They are more like magnets that draw disability advocates in certain directions. What are these key positions? How do we identify them?

Here are five questions that go a long way towards defining disability activism as more than a set of moods and activities, but rather a movement with both diversity and a distinct direction.
Is disability mainly a medical or a social experience?
The disability experience has two main aspects. First, there are people's own mental and physical conditions, practical impairments, pain, discomfort, illness, and lack or loss of functioning. These form the conventional components of disability itself. It is essentially a person experience, and medically based.

Then there are the barriers people encounter that are related to their disabilities, but come from the outside. This can include lack of physical, sensory, or mental access to essential spaces, processes, goods, and services - and discrimination by individuals, laws, institutions, and practices. These are the social forces that make disability so much more than a purely personal and medical experience.

These two aspects of disability have for some time been referred to as the "Medical" and "Social" models of disability. Most disabled people experience elements of both. But whichever comes to be your dominant concern is both affected by and then further shapes how much you look to yourself for a better life and how much you look to outside people and social forces.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
18 Celebrities Who Have Opened Up About Raising a Kid With a Disability | DIVERSEability Magazine

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
What is the shape of disability activism? There is a lot of natural variation in the large and diverse disabled population, and many different opinions among the smaller core of committed disability activists. But there are some beliefs, positions, and mindsets that shape the community of individuals and organizations loosely referred to as "Disability Activism."

# data[].attributes.headline
Biden’s Stutter: How a Childhood Battle Shaped Him 

# data[].attributes.subject
Biden’s Stutter: How a Childhood Battle Shaped Him 

# data[].attributes.body
President Joe Biden has been constantly mocked for the stutter his entire life. Now that he has become the President, even members of Congress and other politicians continue to mock his speech openly.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Biden’s Stutter: How a Childhood Battle Shaped Him | The Choice 2020 | FRONTLINE

# data[].attributes.body
Stephen Hawking, an accomplished physicist, author, and cosmologist, had ASL. This is a neurological disorder that affects voluntary muscle movement. People saw his disability as restricting, but he saw his wheelchair as a way to improve his quality of life. This image depicts him being "free" after death promoting the idea that the only way to be truly free and happy is to not be disabled. This was the opposite of what Hawking thought and promoted throughout his life.

# data[].attributes.headline
'Deafness isn't a monolith': Deaf communities praise, criticize new Apple TV+ movie 'CODA'

# data[].attributes.subject
'Deafness isn't a monolith': Deaf communities praise, criticize new Apple TV+ movie 'CODA'

# data[].attributes.body
Apple TV+ released a movie titled, "CODA" in 2021. CODA -- which stands for "child of deaf adults". Although the actors in the movie who portray deaf characters are actually deaf and they use ASL often in the movie; some viewers in the deaf community were not so happy. In the movie, the daughter is the translator for her deaf parents and many were unhappy with how the parent-child interpreter dynamic played out on screen. Reviewers were also upset that the family was entirely white and there was a missed opportunity for POC who are part of the deaf community.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Children defy their parents. Parents embarrass their children. They hug it out.

Audiences may roll their eyes at these coming-of-age movie cliches. But when a movie like " CODA" - now in theaters and on Apple TV+ - comes along, smiles easily spread across faces as deaf actors and characters finally get their chance in the spotlight.

"CODA" - which stands for "child of deaf adults" - is the story of 17-year-old Ruby (Emilia Jones), the hearing child of deaf parents (Oscar-winner Marlee Matlin and Troy Kotsur), who's caught between helping her family's fledgling fish business in Gloucester, Massachusetts, and pursuing her singing aspirations in college.

"CODA" marks a moment of unbridled joy for deaf communities - finally, yes, significant representation since 1986's "Children of a Lesser God" - though it doesn't come without its critics, who advocate for stronger authenticity in media representations of deaf and CODA culture.

As with any marginalized group, they are not monolithic.

"My hopes were so high, and I was so disappointed at the missteps and missed opportunities," says Jenna Beacom, a sensitivity reader and young adult author. "And so much is misrepresented, especially deaf people's competence and ability to thrive in 2021."

Delbert Whetter, chief operating officer and head of business affairs at Exodus Film Group, thought otherwise.

"After seeing so many stories where people with disabilities are depicted as helpless, forlorn souls needing to be rescued, it is so refreshing to see a story with deaf characters that are small business owners and leaders in their fishing community, with depth and nuance that rival and even exceed that of their hearing counterparts in the story," says Whetter, who is also vice-chair of the disability nonprofit RespectAbility.
Review: Brilliant 'CODA' is a moving, must-see movie that will inspire you to sign up for Apple TV+
What 'CODA' got right

The film, written and directed by Siân Heder ("Tallulah"), was a hit out of the Sundance Film Festival, where it won the U.S. Grand Jury Prize for drama as well as best director and best ensemble. Apple TV+ purchased the film for $25 million.

Audiences and reviewers quickly hailed the movie - and rightly so, according to members of deaf communities.

Whetter appreciated the film's ensemble with multiple deaf characters - what he calls "a rarity."

"This matters a great deal because one, there are so many amazing deaf performers out there who deserve opportunities to be seen; and two, by only making films with only one deaf character, Hollywood closes itself off from the opportunity to tell incredible stories rooted in our communities and culture," Whetter says.

The ASL dialogue also impressed him.
'We are not costumes':Why Marlee Matlin put her foot down, insisting 'CODA' cast deaf actors
"Credit must be given to the ASL consultants on the film, and to (Jones) as well, whose facial expressions and body language were so on point, it is almost hard to believe she wasn't raised by a deaf family," Whetter says.

Deaf writer Sara Novic enjoyed that the film allowed its characters to exist beyond their deafness. Deaf characters not only have sex in the film, but Ruby's father tries to give his daughter a sex talk via sign language - which one can only laugh-cry at.

"I liked that these characters were sexual beings - deaf and disabled people are often neutered or virginal in movies and books, and that's extremely boring and inaccurate," Novic says.
Quite the ensemble: Fall in love with 'CODA'? Marlee Matlin's co-stars (deaf and not) give standout performances
James Viscardi, a CODA himself, felt the film accurately portrayed his experience.

"That isolated experience of being the ears/mouthpiece for your family, and how that forces a child to grow up fast, I thought rang very true to my own experience," Viscardi says. "I was also into music as a child, and so this story hit way closer to home for me than anything."

What 'CODA' could have done better

With praise, however, comes backlash, too.

Beacom is deaf and has a 20-year-old hearing daughter - also an accomplished singer and part of a high school choir, like Ruby. But she didn't feel uncomfortable watching her sing like Ruby's family does in the film.

"I have been in the exact position shown in the movie, sitting in the audience watching her sing," Beacom says. "And I have been nothing but thrilled for her and her successes."

"Overall, I'm thrilled that the movie exists, in the sense of contributing to more deaf representation and hopefully more opportunities for even better representation," Beacom says. But she's also "very disturbed by how negatively the movie portrays the deaf and CODA experiences."

Ruby serves as the primary interpreter for her family, even in situations where there could've been a paid professional there, such as in a courtroom or doctor's office.

"There is an absolutely mind-boggling lack of professional ASL interpreters," Beacom says. "I get that the family is isolated, and I get that they don't have much money, and some of the more incidental interactions make sense."

National Association of the Deaf CEO Howard A. Rosenblum, notes, however, that this is the case across many other settings.

"American society has changed in many ways, including stronger disability rights that have empowered many deaf adults to rely less on their hearing children as was portrayed in 'CODA'", Rosenblum says. "Nevertheless, there are still many hearing children today who function as the family interpreter for their deaf parents, although this should never happen in formal settings like a courtroom or a hospital where professional neutral interpreters are required."

Novic concedes, too, that the film is somewhat of a cliché - "coming-of-age misfit in your family" - but "three real deaf leads is unprecedented and really exciting."

Still, communities crave more.

"More stories of, about and by deaf and hard of hearing people are needed in every shape and form to portray the full range within the truly diverse deaf and hard of hearing community," Rosenblum says. "By employing deaf and hard-of-hearing actors, the public is given opportunities to see these differences in our society."
Sundance awards: Crowd favorite 'CODA' and Questlove's 'Summer of Soul' take top honors
Another point of contention: The film is centered on a white family. Did it have to?

"I'd rather Hollywood accept that there is a great thirst for unique stories centering Black deaf people and the people we love, and fund and produce those films," says Adrienne Gravish, group director and consultant with Deaf Talent Media and Entertainment Consulting.

Twitter user @ashleyodiliaa wrote before watching the film: "As a Black coda, I have many thoughts, and most are critical. But, this is the first time I've seen CODA representation in film. I'm prepared for the sea of interesting emotions to come."

Why 'CODA' is still worth seeing

For Novic, seeing any representation onscreen at all brings her to tears.

"Pretty much every time I see a deaf performer on stage or screen I cry, and CODA was no exception," she says. "I am so hungry for authentic representation of deaf people in our media that it's an overwhelming feeling just to see a glimpse of yourself on the screen. It's almost a relief."
And in case you missed: Sundance 2021: 'CODA' star Marlee Matlin talks inclusion, calls on Hollywood to 'hire more deaf actors'
There's hope for more representation going forward.

"Deafness isn't a monolith," Novic says. "I want to see diversity of race and sexuality and class and experience and interest, the way the deaf community really is. You can't cram that all in one film, though; that's why 'disability representation' isn't a thing that Hollywood can add to a to-do list and then cross off - it's an ongoing project."

For hearing people, watching the film could make leaps and bounds of difference.

"My hope is that when people see this movie and encounter someone deaf in their everyday lives, they show a bit more compassion for what they face on a daily basis," Viscardi says. "I remember not many people taking me seriously when I'd speak up and for my parents, and how cruel people could be without realizing it."

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
'Deafness isn't a monolith': Deaf communities praise, criticize new Apple TV+ movie 'CODA'

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Children defy their parents. Parents embarrass their children. They hug it out. Audiences may roll their eyes at these coming-of-age movie cliches. But when a movie like " CODA" - now in theaters and on Apple TV+ - comes along, smiles easily spread across faces as deaf actors and characters finally get their chance in the spotlight.

# data[].attributes.body
After Suffering from a stroke, John Fetterman used close captioning during an interview. People see someone having to use closed captions as someone who is not capable of being a leader. They make it seem like we do not need the perspectives of people from different backgrounds in congress.

# data[].attributes.wish_content.attachment_props.text
Tucker Carlson is talking about John Fetterman like he's a cyborg:

"Where exactly does the software end and John Fetterman's consciousness begin? We don't know. We can't know."

# data[].attributes.wish_content.attachment_props.original_text
Tucker Carlson is talking about John Fetterman like he's a cyborg:

"Where exactly does the software end and John Fetterman's consciousness begin? We don't know. We can't know." https://t.co/hKcSxLOF2o

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.embed_code
Tucker Carlson is talking about John Fetterman like he's a cyborg:

"Where exactly does the software end and John Fetterman's consciousness begin? We don't know. We can't know." pic.twitter.com/hKcSxLOF2o
— Kat Abu (@abughazalehkat) October 13, 2022

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props_source.data.text
Tucker Carlson is talking about John Fetterman like he's a cyborg:

"Where exactly does the software end and John Fetterman's consciousness begin? We don't know. We can't know." https://t.co/hKcSxLOF2o

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props.original_text
Tucker Carlson is talking about John Fetterman like he's a cyborg:

"Where exactly does the software end and John Fetterman's consciousness begin? We don't know. We can't know." https://t.co/hKcSxLOF2o

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props.text
Tucker Carlson is talking about John Fetterman like he's a cyborg:

"Where exactly does the software end and John Fetterman's consciousness begin? We don't know. We can't know."

# data[].attributes.body
“You don’t look blind.” Abled-bodied people often feel like they have something to say in what disabilities looks “real enough.” What is a person with a disability supposed to look like? Abled-bodied individuals feeling like they know what it looks like or that they have a right to say anything about an individual with a disability highlights their privilege. Disability is not a one size fits all and people need to realize it does not just fit into one category or box.

# data[].attributes.body
Keir Gilchrist got the role to portray Sam Gardner, a high schooler who is autistic in the Netflix series Atypical. To sum up, this article argues that although Keir may not be autistic it does not matter because he does an excellent job of ‘playing the role.” Sam’s character arc was gaining more independence and proving people’s assumptions about him wrong so it was disappointing trying to stretch this message and not having an autistic actor.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Keir Gilchrist Might Not Be Autistic, but He Is a Fantastic Actor

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Is Keir Gilchrist autistic? ‘Atypical’ fans are wondering: Was Sam’s role given to someone with firsthand experience of autism spectrum disorder?