Lauren Ridloff

“I'm thrilled to be able to have the opportunity to shift the attention to subtitles and accessibility for deaf and hard of hearing people. But also, it's beneficial for everybody who actually watches cinema - subtitles give you so much more information.”

“It isn't wild or crazy or difficult - my hair is natural, and to be natural is revolutionary.”

“I think that subtitles benefit everyone: deaf, hard of hearing, hearing.”

“I know what deaf fans want is more stories that are authentic.”

“I used to be Miss Deaf America in another lifetime, and literacy was my platform at that time. And it's still very important to me today.”

“The desire to be heard by someone else is never out of date.”

“What impresses me the most about 'Sound of Metal' is how it's such an authentic piece of writing done by a bunch of hearing people.”

“I feel that with more representation working behind the camera, the stories that are told in television, film and stage would become more intriguing, truthful and thought provoking.”

“I think that deaf people that grow up, we meet so many people who don't sign well, and so we develop this sixth sense about a person. 'Do you have it? Are you going to be able to learn it?' Or: 'There's no hope for you. Sorry.' We develop that.”

“I have reclaimed my body in its entirety, specifically my voice. I still don't see myself using my voice for everyday conversations; but, for a long time, I felt that my voice had no place in my life.”

“I don't have to always use the word 'we.' I think the first and most powerful step is to start using the word 'I.' Start talking about my experience, and how 'I' walk through this world.”

“I realized that I'm investing my time. I want to deliver. I want to act. I want to do my job, and by doing my job I have to have certain things to meet my needs, as a deaf person and a biracial person, and I have this hair.”

“I feel like the Eternals, each of them is a piece of the puzzle. They're part of the bigger picture. I think our individual characters are necessary and they're all valuable. But if one of us wasn't there, I don't think we would be able to have so much power.”

“My hair doesn't understand rules, doesn't understand rigidity.”

“I want to give the audience what they deserve.”

“For the longest time people just assumed I would be in theatre.”

“When I was a teenager, I was first exposed to a saying: 'Deaf people can do anything except hear.' But that quote has really evolved. And today that's Deaf Gain. We're lucky to be the way we are. It's not a woe-is-me situation.”

“When my hair is natural and I have the freedom to play with it, I feel most comfortable.”

“I have learned from stylists that I work with that with gel specifically, less can be more. It's all about layering and mixing.”

“My relationship with PS 347 goes way back. I was the teacher there and I moved from California to New York City. And I knew no one, nobody at that time. I feel like that was in 2002. And it was the first community that I felt connected to. I felt welcomed and included.”