Troy Kotsur, an Academy Award-winning Deaf actor, recently appeared in an episode of the classic PBS children's show "Sesame Street" teaching American Sign Language. He was the second Deaf individual in history to win an Oscar, the 1st being his CODA co-star Marlee Matlin. He appeared on the show to teach 2 of the Muppets and the show's global viewers the show's regular "Word of the Day" in ASL. He mentioned to Sesame Street characters Rosita and the Count that he's Deaf and that he communicates with other people through ASL.
What is American Sign Language (ASL)?
This well-recognized form of sign language is used by Deaf people all over North America and in other parts of the planet too, such as in Canada. The use of sign language to communicate is called signing. ASL uses both manual or hand-based gestures and also movements with other areas of the body to communicate messages.
The Word of the Day is Diversity
The actor said that it means understanding and also appreciating the differences in how people look, where they are from, and how they communicate with other people.
The Significance of Troy Kotsur’s Appearance on the Show and Teaching ASL for the Deaf Community
Troy Kotsur's guest appearance on Sesame Street is important for combining 3 different languages - American Sign Language, English, and Spanish - and also repeating a number of words. This feature of the signing segment improves viewers' capability to sign these terms and demonstrates the diversity of sign language use.
Seeing a Deaf actor do American Sign Language on Sesame Street, which has a global audience, can help to fill the void in Deaf media representation.
Small Strides toward Improved Awareness and Inclusivity
These tiny changes in the global media are powerful because they get people talking. Hearing people become more mindful of the Deaf, are more exposed to Deaf communities, and begin to comprehend a number of the accessibility issues that Deaf people encounter daily.
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