I was the youngest and only girl in a family of two older brothers.

The hearing aids are very helpful for speech reading. Without the hearing aids, my voice becomes very loud, and I cannot control the quality of my voice.

When you're up for an award at the Oscars, try as you might, it's hard to concentrate on the show.

I have made the choices that work best for me. I know I cannot please everyone, and that's fine.

I've been around since I was 19, I won the Oscar when I was 21, I've had a couple of TV series. I've continued to work despite the predictions of some naysayers.

I grew up in the suburbs of Chicago, and in spite of what most people might have expected from a young girl growing up deaf, life for me was like one long episode of The Brady Bunch. Despite whatever barriers were in my way, I imagined myself as Marcia Brady skating down the street saying “hi” to everyone, whether they knew me or not.

At the end of the day, it's about the best interests of the children.