Switched at Birth

A new pilot TV show in production for ABC Family will featured a deaf character. The drama called Switched at Birth tells the story of two teen girls who discover that they were accidentally switched at birth. One grew up in a wealthy family while the other lost her hearing as a child due to meningitis and grew up with a single mother in a poor neighborhood. The families meet and try to learn to live togehter. ABC Family put out a wide casting search for the role of the deaf gilr, looking for deaf and hard of hearing actors for the part. Newcomer Katie Leclerc was selected. She has a rare disease that affects hearing and balance. She is fluent in American Sign Language. The network is currently casting two more deaf or hard of hearing actors for other roles in the series.