Marlee Matlin to receive Ruderman disability activism award

Oscar-winning deaf actress, who is Jewish, ‘has broken down barriers and changed perceptions worldwide’

By JTA 23 February 2017, 4:40 am

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Marlee Matlin at the 70th Annual Tony Awards at The Beacon Theatre in New York City, June 12, 2016. (Cindy Ord/Getty Images for Nordstrom/via JTA)

Oscar-winning Jewish actress Marlee Matlin will be honored by the Ruderman Family Foundation for her activism on behalf of people with disabilities.

Matlin, who is deaf, will be recognized with the annual Morton E. Ruderman Award in Inclusion, the foundation announced Wednesday in a statement. The actress, who serves as a spokeswoman for the National Association for the Deaf, will receive the $100,000 award in June during a trip to Israel.

“Marlee Matlin is the embodiment of a force that has broken down barriers and changed perceptions of people with disabilities worldwide,” said Jay Ruderman, president of the Ruderman Family Foundation.

“Her long and celebrated career in Hollywood serves as a shining example of the value of including people with disabilities in our society.”

Matlin will receive the award, which is in its fourth year, 30 years after she became the first deaf actor to win a major Academy Award for her performance in the romantic drama film “Children of a Lesser God.”