#representation: deaf

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Character: General Amaya

From: Dragon Prince

Representation: Deaf, Asian, Lesbian

Their Importance: Well she’s a complete badass. More specifically she’s a prominent general with an unflinching attitude to a wide variety of dangers and a wry sense of humour and is widely respected. Even when she’s taken prisoner she doesn’t become helpless. She also communicates in accurately animated ASL and her friends and family (and even villains) engage in proper deaf etiquette which most media portrayals don’t bother with. Also, she doesn’t have any kind of magical “compensation” like the majority of disabled characters in these kinds of stories, so her respected position and prominent story role are very important.

She has also been confirmed as a lesbian by the head writer on the show. This is seen in season 3, where Amaya interacts with a Sunfire Elf Janai. Their relationship is initially antagonistic, but the two eventually soften up to one another, and Amaya signs to her nephews that Janai “thinks I’m cute but won’t admit it yet.” By the finale, they’re holding hands, indicating a spark of something to come between them, and I’m excited to see how their relationship develops in the next season! 

Thanks to anon for the write-up! 

[representativecharacters]

The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue Triple Post

Character: Henry “Monty” Montague

Representation:  Bisexual, Disability (Partially Deaf, Disfigurement), Physical abuse survivor 

Their Importance: Seeing someone in a period setting who feels no angst over their sexuality and, in fact has a strong faith in his ability to seduce, is pretty special. However, it becomes clear that he has little faith in himself as he’s internalized his violent father’s beliefs about him. The main point of his character development is realizing that he isn’t doomed to turn out as a worse version of his father and he can choose his own path. He’s also one of the better examples of a socially well-off character who becomes a better person after becoming aware of their privilege. Towards the end of the first book, he’s caught in an explosion which damages his hearing and burns his face which doesn’t dent his self-image or ability to barge into his sister’s business in the slightest.

Character: Felicity Montague

Representation: Asexual and aromantic

Their Importance: She’s generally awesome. More specifically she’s a medical prodigy, hell-bent on getting her career off the ground despite all the legal and social bars and frequently serving as a medic on adventures. Her intelligence proves vital at many different points and she’s generally the bravest, most resourceful of the trio. Like her brother, she doesn’t have any hang-ups about her sexuality, feeling no angst about being a single woman in a time where this was socially unacceptable. In her own novel, she also overcomes her own internalized misogyny/disdain for more traditionally feminine women in a way that doesn’t shame her.

Character: Percy Newton

Representation: Black/biracial, MLM, Epileptic 

Their Importance: Period settings are often used as an excuse for erasure or general lurid brutality aimed at ethnic minorities so having a POC character in a high social position who introduces several important plot points is very refreshing. Again his relationship with Monty comes with little sexuality-related angst (the rocky parts of the relationship are more to do with Monty’s personality). His epilepsy is convincingly portrayed and doesn’t stop him from talking an active part in the trio’s adventures. He initially accepts his family’s attempts to put him in an asylum due to his condition, believing there’s no other option, before being inspired by the others to fight for his future.

Thanks to anon for the write-up!

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Character: Eileen Leahy 

From: Supernatural 

Representation: Deaf 

Their Importance: Eileen was the first deaf character introduced in the series, with Sam and Dean actually making an effort to learn some basic ASL to communicate with her. Furthermore, her disability was never portrayed as an obstacle to her being a good hunter.

Issues: She was killed off, also perpetuating Supernatural's long history of killing off its female characters.

Thanks to @alittlepieceofsincerity for the write up! 

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Character: Clint Barton

From: Marvel Comics

Representation: Deaf, Abuse Survivor

Their Importance: Clint Barton is the longest running non-super-powered superhero to be on The Avengers and one of only a few canonically deaf comic book characters. Clint was raised in an abusive household and rendered partially deaf as a result of injuries from his abusive and alcoholic father. Following the death of his parents, he and his older brother moved from one foster home to another while growing up, often facing similar abuse. In his adult life, Clint has been permanently deafened twice: once self-inflicted and the second time by an opponent in battle. He relies on hearing aids as well as lip reading and ASL to both communicate with and understand those around him (in fact, a large portion of the dialogue in Issue #19 of his self-titled comic is completely untranslated ASL and the reader often misses words in dialogue that Clint himself couldn't lip read).

Hawkeye has risen into prominence over the years (helped especially by being part of the starting line-up in 2012's The Avengers) and with that, he has become awesome rep for deaf individuals. While some of Clint's deaf representation can be a little silly (he once turned up his hearing aids to full power in order to hear that if someone was a robot or not), he is mostly presented as a man who was a bit conflicted with his own deafness but has learned now not to let it get him down.

Issues: Every media adaptation of Hawkeye, from the various cartoon shows all the way to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, excludes the fact that Clint is canonically deaf. It is possible that these different adaptations all share the original comic book character's trait of being incredibly talented at disguising his own deafness. Still, this is a major missed opportunity to get more active deaf representation in the media.

Thanks to @silver-stargazing​ for the write up!

[representativecharacters]

Character: Hearthstone

From: Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard by Rick Riordan

Representation: Deaf

Their Importance: Deaf people are rarely shown in media, and when they are show, it is frequently to mock them, whereas Hearth is a fully realized and important character. Part of his storyline in the second book in the series also forces hearing people see the audism that many Deaf people face

Issues: Hearth’s parents are extremely audist and emotionally abusive. The chapters where Hearth goes home may be triggering for people who have suffered from emotional abuse or audism. Also, his relationship with Blitz could be read as queerbaiting (though the series is currently incomplete, so he may be confirmed as LGBT+ in the future). 

Thanks to @grandupwardsrollercoaster for the write up! 

[representativecharacters]

Character: Harriet Schiff

From: The Magicians 

Representation: Deaf 

Their Importance: She's a smart, powerful magician whose disability is never used as a plot point. She's also never belittled for it and in one episode, we get about 10-minute flashback from her point of view with no talking, no sound, only sign language and subtitles. We are able to have a glimpse of how it feels to be deaf, and since there aren't many deaf characters in TV shows, her story is very important.

Issues: We don't know that for sure, but she was probably killed and after that, she's never really mentioned again despite her importance to the season's plot.

Thanks to anon for the write up!