The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) congratulates Marlee Matlin for her extraordinary accomplishments on NBC’s Celebrity Apprentice. During the episode that aired on April 3, 2011, she took on the task of being Project Manager and raised one million dollars which is more funds than has ever been raised for charity in a single event on any television show. With her legendary finesse and poise, Ms. Matlin — the youngest person to have won the Academy Award for Best Actress in a Film — has demonstrated once again that barriers can be shattered. With this feat, she has once again proven that there is nothing a deaf person cannot do.
Ms. Matlin’s success as a Project Manager on the show demonstrates that deaf and hard of hearing employees can lead and manage hearing people. Many deaf and hard of hearing individuals are highly qualified, but there remains many dedicated employees who are under-employed and are not given opportunities to manage hearing people. The NAD encourages all employers to take note of the skills that deaf and hard of hearing individuals offer, and hire them and promote them to management positions.