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A SPECIAL INTEREST SECTION BY MEDIAPLANET
C E L E B R AT I N G
PHOTO CREDIT: MATT STASI
Deaf Communities
Q&A
W I T H ACA D E M Y AWA R D - W I N N I N G D E A F AC T O R T R OY KO T S U R
What drew you to pursue a career in acting? When I was younger, back in the ’60s and ’70s, there was no closed captioning, and most TV shows were just dialogue or talking heads. I finally found a cartoon called Tom and Jerry with a lot of action and no dialogue. I could really connect to those — I would watch an episode of Tom and Jerry and memorize it. The next day I would tell the entire story to other kids and see their eyes light up. They really enjoyed my storytelling. Then I saw the original Star Wars in 1977, which changed my life. I just wanted to dive into that world.
What does Deaf culture mean to you? It’s really taken many years to get our culture recognized. In the film CODA, you can see a bit of Deaf culture in this Deaf family. One of the wonderful moments from the film is the scene with 30 seconds of silence. It was an excellent experience for hearing people to enter the Deaf world for
just 30 seconds and to experience our culture. I’m glad to see perspectives begin to change — we can work, have sex, and communicate. The only difference is the language we communicate in.
As a member of the Deaf community, what are some barriers you faced breaking into the film industry? I felt like a complete outsider because I worked hard for so many years and was overlooked. It just required a lot of sacrifices. I often took on side jobs and did a one-person show to earn money. Opportunities for Deaf actors were mostly in low-budget small theatres. Being in LA, I was hoping that some people would see our Read the rest of plays, and that’s exactly what happened with the interview Sian Heder, the Director of CODA. She came with Troy on page 2. and saw me perform at the Deaf West Theatre. It was a good gamble, but it was hard.
Let’s Hear from Deaf Canadians September 19 to 25, 2022, is known globally as the International Week of Deaf People. As a member of the World Federation of the Deaf, the Canadian Association of the Deaf - Association des Sourds du Canada has undertaken to educate Canadians about the issues we face throughout the year. Wissam Constantin, President, Canadian Association of the Deaf
T Wissam Constantin President, Canadian Association of the Deaf
he Canadian Association of the Deaf - Association des Sourds du Canada (CADASC) is the first national organization established in 1940 to promote the rights, needs, and concerns of Deaf people in Canada. Since then, the mandate has been enlarged to address the needs of Deaf-blind, Deaf-Disabled, and hard of hearing people who use Sign language as their primary language of communication.
— American Sign Language (ASL) or Langue des signes du Québec (LSQ). Such information is vital if governments or employers are to design programs or budgets for accommodations to become truly inclusive. Meaning that there is no simple answer to how many Deaf people live in Canada. In our opinion, with strong disclaimers, we estimate approximately 357,000 Canadians are Deaf, deafened, or hard of hearing and use ASL/LSQ.
How many people can celebrate deafness in Canada
Human rights for all, not always
Although statistical researchers may ask a person if they self-identify as a person with a hearing disability, they often don’t ask if the person uses Sign
Canadian society prides itself on being an inclusive nation that promotes and protects human rights. However, provincial human rights legislation allows
discrimination if the cost of accommodation would create an undue hardship for an employer or service provider. CAD-ASC willingly promotes the awareness of these issues to promote Sign languages in education, employment for Deaf people, the health of Deaf people in times of crisis, and promoting the opportunity for Deaf people to be leaders in Canadian society and beyond. In our way, we invite you to celebrate with us and the World Federation of the Deaf @WFDeaf_ org, as we celebrate Sign languages throughout Canada and across the world during this International Week of Deaf People and International Day of Sign Languages. #IDSL and #GlobalLeadersChallenge.
Visit our website at cad.ca and read more about the Celebrating Deaf Communities campaign to learn how you can do more.
Publisher: Jonas Hatcher Director of Business Development Manager: Julia Colavecchia Country Manager: Nina Theodorlis Content & Production Manager: Raymond Fan Designer: Kylie Armishaw Lead Editor: Karthik Talwar All images are from Getty Images unless otherwise credited. This section was created by Mediaplanet and did not involve The Toronto Star or its editorial departments. Send all inquiries to ca.editorial@mediaplanet.com.
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Living without sight and hearing doesn’t have to mean giving up on the things you enjoy. CNIB Deafblind Community Services empowers people who are Deafblind to live with confidence, safety, and independence. deafblindservices.ca 1-800-563-2642 • info@deafblindservices.ca