Is the girl who plays Daphne in Switched at Birth, deaf in real life?

ABC Family put out a wide casting search for the role of Daphne, seeking out deaf and/or hard of hearing actors for the part. Katie Leclerc has Meniere's disease, a disorder of the inner ear that can affect hearing and balance to a varying degree. It is characterized by episodes of vertigo and tinnitus and degenerative hearing loss. Leclerc is fluent in American Sign Language.