I've Been Around Since I Was 19,

Watch Me When People Say Deaf And Dumb, Or Deaf Mute, And I Give Them A Look Like You Might Get If You Called Denzel Washington The Wrong Name.

It Was Ability That Mattered, Not Disability, Which Is A Word I'm Not Crazy About Using.

Maybe My Way Of Communicating Through Sign Made Me More In Tune With My Body And How It Moved. Who Knows? I Just Know When I Saw A Stage For The First Time, I Wanted To Be On It.

All I Can Say Is I've Been Reading The Lips Of Bleeped-out Words, Angry Baseball Players, And Stoned-out Rock Stars On Awards Shows For Years And It's Been Hilarious. Everyone Is Always Asking Me What The Bleeped-out Parts Are Saying.

I Was The Youngest And Only Girl In A Family Of Two Older Brothers.