This week I read an article that was bringing up all the issues with ABC Family’s Switched at Birth. This show features a deaf and hearing girl being switched and then finding out 16 years later. For my “ideas” post this week I really wanted to have a conversation with this guys review only because I do think that I, as always, have comments based on my own personal opinion. so his first issue with the show was that Katie Leclerc is not deaf but instead “hearing”. What he fails to mention is that she has BPPV or Begin Proximal Positional Vertigo. This is a inner ear disorder that causes attacks or spouts of dizziness that can last from a few minutes to a few weeks. It can be caused by any number of things from air pressure change to going on a ride at the fair to just sitting and doing nothing. It really just depends on the weakness of the muscles in your ear. Some of the side effects to BPPV is in fact loss of hearing for a portion to the entire attack. This hearing loss can be temporary but also with each attack, hearing gets worse and worse until it is possibly lost for good. Katie Leclerc may not be fully deaf, but to do deaf for a few weeks every attack can be an issue. Allow with BPPV she has menieres, which is basically the same thing, just categorized differently.
The other issue he had that I wanted to bring up was the teen drama. THE SHOW IS ON ABC FAMILY all that is shown there is teen drama. I know that this is one of the only shows that have sign language but the show at its most basic form is a teen drama and lets be real, the tv stations will do almost anything to boost ratings. SO Mr Anonymous, I understand your issues with the show but I request two things from you, PLEASE don’t judge someone just because their hearing impairment doesn’t look like yours. ALSO REALIZE THE SHOWS TARGET MARKET, ITS NOT JUST YOU.