Helping children understand Deaf representation in media

Children encounter stories through films, television, streaming platforms, social media, and online videos. These stories can shape how children understand themselves and other people. For Deaf children, media may be especially influential when they have limited opportunities to meet Deaf peers, adults, teachers, or community members. Simply including a Deaf character, however, does not guarantee meaningful representation. Authentic representation can portray Deafness as a source of visual, linguistic, cultural, and community strengths while showing Deaf people as active participants in their own lives and communities (Bauman & Murray, 2014). Yet media portrayals do not always reflect these strengths or the full range of Deaf people’s agency, relationships, languages, cultures, and life experiences. Sign languages may also be absent or represented inaccurately. Media characters can become symbolic role models. Children may draw messages from them about who belongs, what Deaf people can accomplish, and which ways of communicating are valued. Hearing family members, classmates, and educators may also rely on media when they have little direct experience with Deaf communities. As a result, repeated stereotypes can shape expectations even when viewers do not recognize them as stereotypes. A study of six Korean films with major Deaf characters found that 68.5% of the coded scenes communicated medical rather than cultural messages about Deaf people. All six films were directed and written by hearing people, and all major Deaf roles were played by hearing actors (Chang & Golos, 2025). The authors also summarize research on television, books, and other media that identified similar deficit-oriented portrayals. These findings do not mean that every movie with an imperfect portrayal is harmful or that one film determines a child’s identity. Although we still know relatively little about how Deaf children interpret media over time, the evidence shows why adults should select media carefully and discuss what children watch. More authentic media can show Deaf children that Deaf people have diverse identities, abilities, careers, families, languages, and relationships. Seeing Deaf actors and signers can offer models of communication and adulthood that may be unavailable in a child’s immediate environment. Research on Deaf role models emphasizes the potential value of access to Deaf adults’ cultural and linguistic knowledge, particularly for Deaf children in hearing families (Joy et al., 2025). Media cannot replace relationships with Deaf people, but it can broaden the range of people and possibilities children encounter. Thoughtful discussion is equally important. Children can learn to notice who created a story, whose point of view it centers, and how inaccessible environments and other people’s attitudes can create barriers for Deaf people. These conversations can support media literacy, self-advocacy, and respect for diverse Deaf identities and ways of communicating. They can also help hearing children recognize stereotypes and understand Deafness as a cultural and linguistic identity. Before sharing media, families and practitioners can use the following checklist to consider representation and accessibility: Are Deaf characters played by Deaf actors? Were Deaf writers, directors, or consultants involved? Is sign language used accurately and naturally? Do Deaf characters make meaningful choices and solve problems? Are Deaf characters shown as multidimensional people with their own goals, relationships, and choices? Are captions accurate, synchronized, and easy to read? Accessibility should also guide selection. Captions alone may not make a program fully accessible, especially when they omit music, sound cues, or speaker identification. Check whether a child can follow the dialog and important visual information without guessing. For younger children, pause when needed and explain unfamiliar words or cultural references in the child’s preferred language. No single character can represent every Deaf person. Select media that shows diversity in race, ethnicity, gender, hearing level, communication preferences, technology use, family background, and connection to Deaf culture. Whenever possible, include media created or led by Deaf people. Families and practitioners can also look for media that reflect different forms of authentic Deaf representation. El Deafo, based on Cece Bell’s autobiographical graphic memoir, portrays a Deaf child who uses hearing aids and includes Bell’s involvement as a writer, executive producer, and narrator, as well as Deaf actor Lexi Finigan as the voice of Cece. For older children, Marvel Studios’ Eternals illustrates authentic casting and sign language representation through Deaf actor Lauren Ridloff’s portrayal of Makkari, who communicates in American Sign Language (ASL). These examples provide different starting points for considering who participates in creating Deaf stories and who represents Deaf characters on screen. Watch with children and invite discussion without turning the experience into a test. Ask, “What did you notice about how the character communicated?” “Who made the important decisions?” “Did anything seem realistic or unrealistic?” and “Whose perspective might be missing?” Encourage children to disagree, share emotional reactions, and connect the story with their own experiences. Adults do not always need to avoid media containing stereotypes. An age-appropriate example can become useful when paired with a critical conversation or a more authentic portrayal. Families, schools, and libraries can create shared lists of recommended media, label accessible viewing options, and invite Deaf community members to help evaluate materials. Educators can also examine clips alongside students and discuss how the same scene could be rewritten from a Deaf character’s perspective. Most importantly, listen to Deaf children. Ask what they enjoy, which characters feel relatable, and what kinds of stories they want to see. Supporting Deaf leadership in media and centering children’s responses reflect a simple principle: decisions about Deaf lives should include Deaf perspectives. Andrew Chang (Conceptualization, Writing—original draft, Writing—review & editing). No funding was received for this work. None declared.