Linda Bove Linda Bove ( b . November 30 , 1945 ) is a deaf actress who played Linda on " Sesame Street " from 1972 to 2002 . Born in Garfield , New Jersey , Bove graduated from the New Jersey School for the Deaf , and , in 1968 , she received her bachelor ' s degree in library science from Gallaudet University , the first school for the advanced education of the deaf and hard - of - hearing . She soon detoured into the acting profession , however , as she was recruited by the National Theatre of the Deaf ( NTD ) . She performed with the troupe in " Songs from Milkwood " and Moliere ' s " Sganarelle " , and made her Broadway debut with the two shows in 1970 . That same year , she married fellow deaf performer Ed Waterstreet . Bove also accompanied the National Theatre of the Deaf in their visits to Sesame Street , as a member of the troupe . She subsequently made her debut as a character in her own right , a librarian named Linda , in Episode 0326 , which aired in January 1972 . She appeared sporadically in the early seasons , with Children ' s Television Workshop describing her as a " frequent guest , " until 1979 , when she was featured " on a more regular basis . " As the only non - hearing performer on the series , Linda Bove found that the staff writers were initially unsure of how to write for her : In addition to demonstrating to viewers that deaf people were much like everyone else , Bove used American Sign Language to communicate with others , teaching it to children at home . She carried the latter over into several , teaching how to sign words and letters in " Sesame Street Sign Language ABC with Linda Bove " , " Sign Language Fun " , and a series of sign language pages for " The Sesame Street Treasury " , developed with the NTD . Remaining with " Sesame Street " through 2003 , Bove holds the honor of the longest recurring role in television history for a disabled person . Bove ' s other TV credits include a recurring role on the soap opera " Search for Tomorrow " in 1973 , as Melissa Hayley Weldon , and a guest spot on " Happy Days " , playing the title character in the 1980 episode " Allison , " a deaf woman with whom Fonzie falls in love . That same year , she understudied the leading role of Sarah Norman in the Broadway play " Children of a Lesser God " , the acclaimed story of a speech teacher who romances an independent deaf woman . Bove starred in the role at the National Theater in 1981 , and appeared in the 1986 film version , in a small role as successful economist Marion Loesser . Other projects have varied from children ' s videos ( translating the " Land Before Time " series into sign language ) to the CD - Rom series " Paws Signs Stories " , as the costumed character Paws the Dog . In recent decades , Bove has been actively involved in the Non - Traditional Casting Project , a non - profit organization encouraging the integration of different ethnicities and people with disabilities in theatre , film , and television . In 1991 , with husband Ed Waterstreet , she co - founded DeafWest Theater , a Los Angeles based sign language theatre . In 2003 , DeafWest Theatre produced their adaptation of the Huckleberry Finn musical " Big River " , combining sign language and deaf actors with hearing performers acting as on - stage " voices . " Bove served as American Sign Language master , seeing that the signing maintained the flavor of Mark Twain ' s words , and played Miss Watson and others in the 2005 tour . The same year , she starred in the stage debut of the drama " Open Window " .