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There is no relation to sound for deaf people. It is a totally different mental process.

I know deaf people. I have discussed the issues with them I've also thought about them a lot so I have some insights that go a little further than people who haven't had contact with the deaf community.

I like to say that the greatest handicap of deafness does not lie in the ear, it lies in the mind. I hope that through my example, such as my role on 'The West Wing,' I can help change attitudes on deafness and prove we can really do everything... except hear.

The deaf community and the hearing community, there's not always a ton of interaction.

There are two worlds: the deaf world and the hearing world. There are some people in the deaf community that feel that hearing people look down on us.

We have our own culture, our own community. A lot of people don't realize that. They just assume that deaf people are very unfortunate, very disabled, but no.

I started to realize that there are a lot of people who are unaware of deaf culture, and I've been given a great platform to reframe the deaf community.

In the deaf community, in order to play a role of someone with a hearing loss... you have to have hearing loss.

Most profoundly deaf people have speech that is very difficult to understand.

The handicap of deafness is not in the ear; it is in the mind.