Why First Deaf 'Survivor' Competitor Christy Smith Is Proud of Her Performance

What’s new: Christy Smith spoke to Entertainment Weekly about her experience being the first Deaf player on reality television in 2003 when she competed on “Survivor.” Smith, who is a lipreader, shared she is proud she “lasted 33 days in a jungle surrounded by strangers with whom I struggled to communicate and made it through all the way to sixth place.”

Smith told EW that she felt “nothing but love” from the Deaf community for her participation on the show. The biggest regret Smith had while on “Survivor” was that she did not use American Sign Language (ASL).

After “Survivor,” Smith cofounded a nonprofit, Discovering Deaf Worlds, an organization with a mission to “advance the self-determination of signing Deaf communities through local capacity building in developing countries.”

Christy Smith of '#Survivor: The Amazon' blazed a trail as reality TV's first deaf contestant. Now, she looks back at her time on the island. https://t.co/JIMCawRpKL

— Entertainment Weekly (@EW) November 16, 2020

The Frontlines: Since Smith was on “Survivor,” more Deaf people have competed on reality television, but are still very unrepresented on reality TV.

• Deaf activist Nyle DiMarco and actress Marlee Matlin both appeared on “Dancing with the Stars.” DiMarco won his season and also won his season of “America’s Next Top Model.”
• A 2013 survey on Australian television audiences with disabilities found that reality television was considered to be more stigmatizing of disability than other forms of TV entertainment.

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A Mighty Voice: Contributor Brian O’Donnell wrote about the frustration of either not seeing disability in media, and if disability is portrayed, it is not reflective of disabled people’s experiences. “Even when people with disabilities make their way on screen, there is still a dearth of unique and compelling characters or stories. This is extremely concerning because it fails to reflect the diversity of human experiences.” You can submit your first-person story, too.

From Our Community:

Deaf/HoH is not one size fits all #Deaf #DeafCommunity #DeafCulture #HearingLoss #HardOfHearing

Other Things to Know: Since 2003, Deaf, disabled and chronically ill people have shared their experiences while documenting or competing on reality TV shows. You can learn about their experiences in the stories below:

• Nyle DiMarco’s Show ‘Deaf U’ to Premiere on Netflix October 9
• 10 Reality TV Stars Who Showed Viewers Their Chronic Illness Battle
• Deaf Icon Nyle DiMarco Wins ‘Dancing With the Stars’
• TV Star Shows Reality of Chronic Illness With a ‘Bad Selfie’

How to Take Action: You can read Smith’s full interview with EW on her experience being the first Deaf reality show player on its website here.