I Learned To Speak First,

Im In My Mid-30s, Ive Won An Oscar, I Have Four Children. You Figure Out If My Deafness Has Adversely Affected My Life.

The Handicap Of Deafness Is Not In The Ear; It Is In The Mind.

I'm The Only One In My Family Who Is Deaf, And There Are Still Conversations That Go Around Me That I Miss Out On. And I Ask What's Going On, And I Have To Ask To Be Included. But I'm Not Going To Be Sad About It. I Don't Live In Sad Isolation. It's Just A Situation I'm Used To.

I Was The Youngest And Only Girl In A Family Of Two Older Brothers.

When I Learned To Sign And Speak At The Same Time, The Whole World Opened Up To Me. That's The Beauty Of Encouraging Kids Who Are Deaf To Use Whatever It Takes To Communicate.