“I’m done with being the token deaf character.” Rose Ayling-Ellis criticises TV treatment of deaf talent (with video)

Deaf actress Rose Ayling-Ellis has made a landmark speech at the Edinburgh TV Festival starkly criticising the TV industry for how it treats deaf people, drawing on her own experiences.

Watch Rose’s speech with subtitles here, and scroll down for the rest of the article:

Making the Alternative MacTaggart speech at the UK’s leading TV festival, Ayling-Ellis explained the countless barriers she has faced in her career, describing “a lonely, upsetting journey.”

Ayling-Ellis explained how she had felt “torn” when scripts had been written for her without input from deaf writers, leading her to play “a deaf character that is either written as a hearing person, or as a deaf stereotype,” and saying that she was “done with being the token deaf character.”

She added that “whilst winning Strictly was an amazing experience, it shouldn’t be allowed to conceal the hardships I have been through to get here.”

Talking about the start of her career, Ayling-Ellis explained how on her first acting role in a theatre production, a deaf character was changed to being hearing because it was “easier” for the director.

Ayling-Ellis stated that many other deaf actors had been through similar experiences, of their “identity being considered a burden that has to be compromised.”

Ayling-Ellis made it clear that it’s not as simple as making “sure access needs are met” – stating that this is the bare minimum. She said: “True representation starts before the actor comes into the room, with research and authentic scripts. It is vital to remember that access and representation are two separate things.”

Referring to “a role I play on TV,” Ayling-Ellis said she is “almost always working with scripts that are written by hearing people. It can be frustrating, playing a hearing person’s perception of what a deaf person is like.”

She added of that role: “They were the only programme prepared to take on a regular character who was deaf, so credit where credit is due. Being the first deaf person to play a regular character is a huge privilege and was long overdue.” She explained how accessible working on the show had been, but said “I would be lying if I said it didn’t come with its own challenges.”

Ayling-Ellis explained how the scripts were often unrealistic for her character: “I often receive a script that is not quite right. They will write my characters who are in a room with a big group of people arguing with each other, following everything that is being said and even repeating things back to them. Or they will write my character as lipreading someone from impossibly far away – like I have a superpower, which is not realistic at all! I am playing a deaf character that is either written as a hearing person, or as a deaf stereotype.”

She explained that she tried to fix the problems on set, only to find that the solutions weren’t added to the script or acted on when the programme was edited. She said this happened “every week.”

She said: “I’m constantly fighting to have my deaf identity represented but end up being made to feel like my voice isn’t heard – I end up feeling torn. Torn between representing the deaf community and telling our story but wanting to have a career with good working relationships.”

Stating “nothing about us, without us,” Ayling-Ellis stated that “you can’t write about deaf people without a deaf person’s input.” She explained how she had “asked countless times for a deaf consultant to be brought in to work with the writing teams, to help advise on ways to incorporate and respect deaf culture,” but added that due to the speed of the production and high turnover of staff, “the importance of consultants is forgotten.”

Ayling-Ellis explained that things had recently improved, with her being asked to come into the writing room and share her experiences, but “it shouldn’t have taken me two years of repeating my frustrations, using up my time and energy, to get to a point where I feel able to demand that my needs are met.” She said “It is another job on top of being an actor and it’s not optional; if my deafness is badly represented, it’s me that ends up getting the blame.”

Ayling Ellis went on to explain how her experiences on Strictly Come Dancing were much more positive. She said: “Strictly made me feel heard; it was the most inclusive and supportive job I have ever had, and it has had a profound and lasting impact. They let me share MY story in MY way and look what that did, we won a BAFTA for Must- See Moment of the year and online searches of BSL courses rose by 4000%.”

Ayling-Ellis explained how, following her raised profile, she had come under pressure to accept acting roles: “It’s normal for actors not to say yes to everything they are offered and to choose work and projects that are right for them. For me, saying no meant other deaf people lost opportunities too and it leaves me feeling guilty and conflicted. My appearance on Strictly should have encouraged people to seek out other deaf talent, yet how many deaf characters have we seen on TV since?”

She said: “It’s not enough to make me a pioneer on my own without allowing other deaf people to have a platform, and not only in front of a camera or audience, but behind the scenes too. Remember when I said it’s not nice to realise that my presence is a token?”

Remarkably, she told a story of how she was recently asked to “overdub the dialogue for a hearing actress who was playing a deaf role,” with the producers stating that they couldn’t find a deaf actor.

Ayling-Ellis also criticised the lack of subtitles on some TV channels and in particular on some streaming services. She also spoke about the barriers to deaf actors making a career in the industry, and the importance of the diversity within the deaf community being portrayed.

Encouraging the audience to think about how they can “improve the experiences of deaf people when you hire them,” Ayling-Ellis added that “We are no longer prepared to be your inspiration token on screen, we are no longer prepared for you to use our language to make money and gain popularity.” She explained that she is developing a comedy-drama series that will be “totally bilingual and female-focused.”

Ayling-Ellis ended her speech saying: “Whatever is next for me, I know one thing for sure – I am done with being the token deaf character, I believe that diverse, rich, and fascinating deaf stories are ready to go mainstream and that we can do this, together. Let’s create together, to normalise deaf and disabled people on screen. I can only dream of the day where seeing other disabled people on screen isn’t a rare sight, or where I don’t get excited at the sight of other disabled people working behind the screen.”

After her speech, Ayling-Ellis was interviewed on stage by writer and broadcaster Afua Hirsch. Hirsch asked: “Do you fear it might have consequences for your career and perception in the industry?” Rose replied: “100%. I think everything I have done so far I always come across a positive and happy, and that is me, I’m a really positive person, but when you are showing the frustrations, I don’t want it to affect my career.”

Hirsch also asked: “You use the word gratitude more than once. I really felt that. Do you feel that we have got to the stage where there is some recognition that there should be roles for deaf and disabled people but we still expect those people to be grateful when those opportunities arise?” Ayling-Ellis replied: “We have a long way to go and we still need to work on it, we don’t want the work to stop because they think it’s OK, because it’s not.”