By Jan Marcos Andrade
I was flipping through the pages of this magazine, one after another, and shocked to see that many of the photos did not show models with visible hearing aids. It spurred me to reach out and share my story, because I feel that the modeling and acting industries lack the inclusion of people who really use hearing aids.
I was born in Florida, where I still live, 27 years ago, and at the time newborn hearing screening wasn’t mandatory, and my parents recall that they didn’t feel it necessary or that they were advised to.
Jan has always loved honing his voice and acting, despite learning how to speak at a later age than his peers. He is pictured here in pre-kindergarten as the announcer at his school talent show.
As I became a toddler, my parents noticed I did not respond to what they said, including saying my name. They brought me to the doctor, who put me through a series of tests and determined I was almost deaf. I was 2 ½ years old. My parents were devastated, not knowing how I would be able to grow up “normal.” Would I ever speak, would I need to be homeschooled, would I be able to get a job later on? They were determined to get me the best help possible. I saw more doctors and had more tests and then was given the precious gift of hearing aids to treat my moderate to severe hearing loss.
In grade school, I wore a big, rectangular, blue device strapped to my chest with wires attached to a hearing piece into my ears. It turned heads in the hallways and classroom, and many students asked what it was. However, there was one student who laughed and called me weird because of the device I had to wear. I felt extremely hurt for months afterward, and even today this incident hasn’t ever left my mind. But it pushed me to prove to myself that I am just as capable as anyone else. I decided to join the after-school drama and chorus clubs.
These two enrichment activities opened my eyes as to how I can hone my voice and acting despite learning how to speak at a later age than other students. In special education I had been practicing my speech for years, and stuttered occasionally. By practicing acting and singing, before I knew it, I was placed front and center of the chorus and in plays, and at school spirit rallies and events. Even in pre-kindergarten, I was the announcer for our talent show. I saw what I could accomplish and how far I could go.
Since then, I’ve remained interested in acting and using my voice, body language, and behavior to portray a character. When I watch actors in films, I always consider how their emotions and actions are portrayed, and I felt empathy for the characters’ struggles. As a novice professional actor, I keep getting told that acting is very hard and only those who make it big in Hollywood can earn a real living, and that I should go for an easier career. Every time I hear this, it brings me back to my grade school bullying experience and I become even more determined.
We can’t let other people dictate who we are, only you know who you are and what you can do. I want to prove to myself and show others what I can accomplish and succeed at despite my hearing loss. Another motivation is seeing the lack of individuals with disabilities in TV and film. There are some actors who are deaf or hard of hearing, but they represent a very small percentage of the entertainment industry.
True talent comes in all forms and includes those with disabilities. I consider my hearing loss a gift, not a flaw, and I wear it like armor. I believe I can be the voice for many others through my acting, providing inspiration and motivation and showing the world that nothing can stop people with disabilities.
Jan Marcos Andrade lives in Florida. He is listed as “Jan Marcos” under “Find Talent” on backstage.com. His mother Cynthia shared her family’s story in the Winter 2014 issue of Hearing Health magazine.
