Just like her Hawkeye character, Echo, Alaqua was born Deaf and uses sign language to communicate. When giving interviews on the red carpet, she's had an interpreter by her side.
When it comes to her role on Hawkeye, Alaqua told Entertainment Weekly that it was an exciting moment not just for her but for her entire community. "The [Deaf] community is in huge support of this role because they want to see deaf people represented in these deaf roles," she said. "Most of the time it's hearing people that take these roles, but finally authentic representation is here. So I'm excited for that, and so is everybody else."
