Perspectives from DeafBlind individuals on “Helen & Teacher”

I was able to reach out to three DeafBlind individuals who were willing to share their perspectives on the upcoming film, “Helen & Teacher,” which will cast deaf and sighted actress Millicent Simmonds in the role of a young Helen Keller and hearing actress Rachel Brosnahan as Anne Sullivan, who was Helen’s teacher.

There was criticism on social media on the idea of a sighted person acting like a blind person and some controversy when comments under Simmonds’ Instagram page were deleted or blocked. But there was praise from others for Simmonds and for the opportunity she’s getting with the role.

Venesse Guy, a DeafBlind person from New Jersey, will share what their first reaction was to the news about “Helen & Teacher.”

Venesse Guy: The first thing when I saw that news come up was that I had mixed feelings. I felt conflicted inside. It’s because for any deaf person – aside from the DeafBlind community – as a deaf person, I do feel connected with the Deaf community. We understand each other and speak the same language, ASL. When we watch a hearing actor try to act like a deaf person, in a deaf role, we can tell that it’s not authentic. They’re not actually deaf and it’s easy to notice. It’s the same concept with DeafBlind people. We can notice the inauthenticity. It makes it less enjoyable to watch a film.

Now with Helen Keller’s role, she was a privileged person based on her history. She was white, oral, had the support of Anna (Sullivan), and her family was wealthy and was able to pay for her education and support systems for her to thrive. That doesn’t reflect our Deaf community because we do have struggles with inadequate access and a lack of resources that is a barrier to our success. So I feel there’s a conflict.

Alex: I asked Venesse to share what it means if sighted people didn’t take the time to listen to DeafBlind individuals’ concerns.

Venesse Guy: Yes, yeah, I feel that it’s common that whenever we speak out in general, not about this specific situation, but in general, we are ignored and they think they know better than us. No. We know our needs. We know our struggles. We have a voice. So it’s an oppression and we are becoming used to enabling authority figures on the outside. We’re oppressed and we become passive and end up losing our power in our DeafBlind community. So it’s about power. We become powerless.

Alex: Venesse said she hopes Hollywood and the film industry will take the time to work with DeafBlind people in the future.

Venesse Guy: Yes, yeah, I think that Hollywood and the film industry in general doesn’t want to deal with paying for a CDI, ProTacticle interpreter, and all that. So they are just finding an easier way by bringing in a sighted deaf person to act like a DeafBlind person, but at the same time it is pushing away our ability to show our talent. It is because it’s too time-consuming for them. I know it is uncomfortable and you may feel like you’re starting all over again, but if you keep up with the work, you will become used to it. Things will get easier later because you will become experienced and know what to do.

Alex: Thank you Venesse for being willing to share.

Jayce Romero, a DeafBlind person from Louisiana, will share his reaction to the film and insights on DeafBlind roles.

Jayce Romero: Yes, I feel that it is unfair when a deaf person takes a DeafBlind role in a film. Those who are sighted. I feel it’s not fair. I would rather see DeafBlind roles be given to authentic DeafBlind individuals because they can show that they have limited vision, depend on tactile fingerspelling, use canes, and many other tools for access for their DeafBlind lives. I’ve compared this with deaf actors. They don’t have any tools. They don’t use canes. They are missing some things or they can walk easily. But an authentic DeafBlind role would show an unbalanced gait and many different things. I do get a funny feeling that those in Hollywood are just rushing forward to make films and that they just don’t want to deal with the DeafBlind community. I do understand that, but I disagree with them because there are no excuses. DeafBlind people can do everything including act. If DeafBlind actors become popular and receive support, there will be more recognition for DeafBlind people.

Alex: Thank you Jayce for sharing your perspective.

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Alex: I was able to do an interview via email with a DeafBlind person from Pittsburgh, Cristina Hartmann. I will show her responses in text.

My first question was on what her reaction was to the film. She gave a two-part response, with the first part on her feelings on the public’s fixation on Helen Keller.

Cristina Hartmann: I’ll be honest. The first thought when I found out about the movie was: “Not her again!” As much as I admire Keller’s accomplishments, the public’s fixation on her has always made me uncomfortable. Her story has defined the DeafBlind community for over 100 years. It is time for us to move on and listen to new narratives from the DeafBlind community. We have changed a lot since Helen Keller’s time.

Alex: We see that Hartmann wants to see different DeafBlind stories being told rather than just Helen Keller’s. Hartmann will now explain her viewpoint on the casting choice for Keller’s role.

Cristina Hartmann: As for the casting, I had mixed feelings. Although I’m happy that a deaf actress got such a meaty role, there are issues with a sighted deaf person playing a DeafBlind role. Being DeafBlind is very, very different from being a sighted deaf person. There is also a history of discrimination against the DeafBlind within the sighted deaf community, something that Simmonds and the studios should be sensitive to. I hope Simmonds and the studio acknowledge these issues and work with the DeafBlind community on this project.

Alex: We see that she has mixed feelings because it’s a deaf person getting an important role, but being deaf is not the same as being DeafBlind. I saw Hartmann saying on Twitter that she thinks the film will need a lot of DeafBlind consultants. I asked her to describe what scenario she thinks will work.

Cristina Hartmann: As someone who became DeafBlind later in life, it was an enormous shift going from a mostly sighted deaf experience to a more tactile one. I had to change how I thought about the world, how I moved, and how I touched people. Since Helen Keller was DeafBlind for most of her life, it is important for Simmonds to learn how to think, move, and touch like a tactile person. It’ll take more than just closing one’s eyes.

Alex: We see that it will take a lot of work for anyone to portray as a DeafBlind person, and that Hartmann is hoping for DeafBlind consultants. Thank you, Hartmann, for sharing your thoughts.

So, that’s three perspectives from DeafBlind individuals on the “Helen & Teacher” film and the casting choices. “Deadline” reported that principal photography for the film will begin in the summer of 2022.

https://variety.com/2021/film/global/helen-keller-millicent-simmonds-rachel-brosnahan-1235089042/