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I love it there; its my home.
And second, for my run onAmericas Next Top ModelandDancing With the Stars.
For both of those experiences, I was the only deaf competitor on a reality-TV show.
It was this one-dimensional mask that I was forced to wear.
Did someone come to you and say they were interested in this project?
Theres no one involved in production.
I said, All right, let me make a quick phone call.
They said, Oh, we didnt know that!
Theres a language fluency differential; theres diversity within that.
Theres so many layers to deaf representation, solely based on language representation.
So it was really key that we brought other deaf talent into the production process.
We exceeded that number, and reached 50 percent, which is unprecedented in the entertainment industry.
Are there any kinds of deaf stories in particular you were hoping to tell with these specific cast members?
I found that was an incredibly universal experience in the deaf community; its quite common.
I definitely had a tough time convincing Daequan to join the cast.
It was fascinating to me to see Netflix marketing it as a docusoap.
Is that something the production was aiming for at the beginning?
That was the goal: to see the drama between these students.
Like Tessa, for example.
Tessa has so many important things to say, its just a matter of reframing what those things mean.
Having access to language means having access to education and so many other things.
Its interesting to hear you say that you didnt want to villainize Tessa.
Its also true for someone like Cheyenna, having to make new friends.
Its already hard enough to join an established group of friends like Tessas, who all grew up together.
Theyve known each other from their kindergarten days.
That group is most comfortable with one another.
But at the same time there, there is a bit of a survivalist mentality.
I really believe thats where Tessas coming from.
Theyre loving it; its been incredibly positive.
I couldnt believe it!
Alexa, why did you make that choice?!Yes!
Its like,What?
!I felt the same way, but to each their own.
Its crucial to have deaf people behind the camera to double-check that were not showing people as one-dimensional.
Another example is Tessa versus Cheyenna.
Theyre both from deaf families, and technically they could both be considered deaf-of-deaf elite.
But Cheyenna went to a mainstream school, which is why she has that kind of code-switching.
Hearing people wouldve missed so much of the nuance.
We didnt want it to come off as preachy.
So we went into the filming with that in mind.
Thats a pod, her having to move that bottle so they can see one anothers signs.
Sign language itself is a visual, direct language.
It requires body language as well.
Instead, deaf people come off as incredibly blunt.
When Daequan and Raelyn have a chance to chat through the window.
And Braxton, while hes driving.
So many times in my life, people have asked if I can drive.Can deaf people drive?
And Im like,Really?So now I have a show with deaf people driving!
