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

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.

There are so many deaf kids out there being deprived of their own language.

I think the biggest misconception is that people think deaf people are not able to do things.

Differences among deaf people are okay, but we need to recognize those differences and work together.

I am fourth-generation deaf, which means everyone in my immediate family is deaf. So I grew up always having 100 percent accessibility to language and communication, which was wonderful and something so many deaf people don't have.

I hadn't really noticed that I had a hearing problem. I just thought most people had given up on speaking clearly.

But people who think they can project themselves into deafness are mistaken because you can't. And I'm not talking about imagining what a deaf person's whole life is like I even mean just realizing what it is like for an instant.

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 actually think the deafness makes you see clearer. If you can't hear, you somehow see.