Sign Language Week 2025 - Sign On Screen: Deaf Representation in the U.K.
My first clear memory of seeing BSL on TV came in 2015, when I was thirteen years old. Sitting on my living room floor in Derby, the second largest deaf community in the U.K., I was tuned in to the ninth series of Doctor Who on BBC One awaiting a tale of intrigue and horror when a signing crew captain appeared on my TV. Played by Sophie Stone, the first Deaf graduate of RADA, ‘Cass’ found herself leading a hearing crew being pursued by murderous ghosts.
Appearing with her on-screen interpreter Lunn, played by Zaqi Ismail (who has a Deaf sister), Stone uses BSL throughout in a way that is authentic while also maintaining her superiority to her crew. While the two-part special entitled ‘Under the Lake’ may seem insignificant in the face of Doctor Who’s 884 instalment history, I found it to be a watershed moment in Deaf representation on screen. That is not to say that there had never been BSL on screen before but often when Deaf characters were there, their deafness was their only characteristic. Seeing a character like Cass, who is not defined by her deafness but by her ability to lead and protect her crew, was a breath of fresh air in a world of forced representation and tokenism.
One of the most famous examples of BSL in the media is of course David in 1994’s Four Weddings and a Funeral. This iconic rom-com starring Hugh Grant, which took £218 million at the box office and has firmly solidified its cult status over the last thirty years, is unapologetic in its portrayal of BSL and deafness. Welsh actor David Bower, a graduate of the British Theatre of the Deaf, acts as his hearing brother’s (Grant) voice of reason in a sea of rash and romantic decisions. While a small number of critics have argued that the ‘lost in translation’ trope employed by the film during some of Hugh’s BSL-to-English translations becomes tiring fast, the use of real BSL – not made up gestures you see in some films and series – and a refusal to voice-over David’s signing forces the audience to engage with this beautiful language. The signed interactions between Grant and Bower feel natural, and David’s blossoming relationship with Serena – played by Robin McCaffrey – whom he eventually marries emphasises the normality and equality of BSL-users who are often looked down on and pitied by hearing audiences. It’s a film I have watched more times than I’d like to admit and yet every time I see a new facial expression, a new meaning, and a new layer to the brotherly relationship. While David may not have much screen time, his character feels significant and has a powerful influence over his brother – something you don’t often see with Deaf representation.
In recent years, BSL representation on screen has blossomed with Rose Ayling-Ellis’ historic Strictly Come Dancing win in 2021 and deaf baker Tasha Stones reaching the semi-finals of The Great British Bake Off in 2023. Across the pond, ASL representation has also seen a big mainstream push, with Oscar-winning feature films like A Quiet Place and CODA putting sign language front and centre.
While I believe this is a positive thing, this has opened the floor to critics who argue that deaf people only make it so far in their on-screen endeavours, be them television competitions or horror movies, because of their deafness. This hostility towards seeing people with semi-hidden disabilities such as deafness exposes a deeper problem with on-screen representation. In a politically tumultuous world, this reduction of individual talents to labels such as “the deaf one” negates the hard work and time people like Rose put into their performances. Rather than comparing Strictly contestants based on their dancing skills, it becomes easier for bigots to zero in on their disabilities and claim that it’s “political correctness gone mad” or part of the “woke agenda”.
Rose herself has criticised hearing writers who portray her as a “deaf stereotype” in an op-ed to The Guardian, stating that deaf people are “no longer prepared to be your inspiration token on screen”. By presenting deaf characters in this one-dimensional way, you lose their experiences, identities and rich culture. This not only harms the authenticity of deaf portrayal, but also makes it easier for critics to downplay the achievements and impacts that deaf people are having on our screens.
As we enter Sign Language Week 2025 and look forward to the future of deaf representation on-screen, we need to emphasise the importance of authenticity and varied opportunities for deaf actors, allowing deaf and CODA children like me to see themselves, and their loved ones as more than their deafness. While great progress has been made over the past decade, a lot more needs to be done to ensure that BSL receives the attention and praise it deserves in TV and film.
About the ADN: The Advisors for Deaf Network (ADN) is a not-for-profit initiative which exists to increase accessibility for d/Deaf clients accessing Legal and Financial Services. The ADN blog serves as a resource for increasing awareness of the barriers faced by the d/Deaf community in accessing services and for promoting best practice in accessibility.
1. Rose Ayling-Ellis, ‘I’m done with being token deaf character on TV’
