Sign Language is the Answer!🤟🏾✌🏾
Prostitute!
Asewo!
You will fail your exams!
You will get pregnant!
These were few statements I deciphered from the shouting and accusations which were going on in my office one day. Parents of a deaf girl had reported their daughter to some teachers. The deaf girl was sobbing as abuses and accusations continued to rain upon her. I wondered what offence she had committed to merit such disgrace. In my curiosity, I called her.
"Parents and You, what happened"? I signed.
" Parents not love me!, Parents not love me!"she signed repeatedly amidst sobbing.
I sought and got my colleagues and her parents attention.
"The girl said that her parents do not love her", I declared.
She lied.
Don't mind her.
We love her.
She is bad.
These were the replies I got.
However within me, I knew the girl had poured all her agonies into that four words - "Parents not love me". When parents claimed that they love their deaf child, but the child insisted his/her parents do not love him/her. Who do we believe?
I always recount the story of my family dog when such question pop up.
A vet officer, when administering an injection on our dog one day, mistakenly left the injection needle inside the poor dog lap who was then on loose. Groaning in pain, the dog would not allow anyone to get near him. He was literally going mad, yet the injection needle had to be pulled out.
"Go and call Tope", my Papa commanded.
I came out and got briefed on what happened. Then I called out the dog and he came to me immediately. I bended down, patted and held him. It was then that the vet officer was able to pull out the injection needle.
Why did the dog came to me? It was because I was the only one who usually gave him the attention and love he needed and I got his trust.
If a dog, being an animal, can recognise love, how much more a deaf child, being a perfect human being, a rational creature?
"Parents not love me" is widespread theme among deaf children. Many have pathetic tales of various degree of abuses. Majority resort to walking alone on life pathway bearing their agonies, frustrations, disappointments and fears all by themselves. What does "Parents not love me" implies as commonly used by deaf children?
Like their hearing counterparts, deaf children crave for love and attention from their parents. They crave for those stories being shared at family gatherings. They crave for the laughter that resonates every room in the house. They crave for the identity of not just being deaf but being part of the family, the honour as accorded to their siblings, their birthrights, their dignity. They crave for the recognition of the fact that deafness does not transform them to house helps, farm labourers and slaves. They crave for total inclusion in the family.
Whenever I meet parents with deaf child who profess great love for their children, I always pose this question to them.
If you claim you love your child so much, why do you refuse to learn sign language?
The word "refuse" as used in the question is deliberate because I observe no serious efforts or commitments on part of those parents. What a better way to show love to a deaf child other than learning sign language?
We have many parents who refuse to accept that their child is deaf. The stigma is too much for them. Hence the deafness or the deaf child must be hid. To do this, sign language is prohibited. The child is taught lipreading and trained to distinguish sounds. They prefer the Oralists, who have been in battle with sign language in the field of Deaf Education for century. In the book, "Never the Twain Shall Meet", the Oralists see deaf children as "unfit elements" in the society and the goal is to make them "fit". In so doing, they erode the dignity of a deaf child. The child grows up having identity crisis, some end up with behavioral disorders.
Deaf communities, throughout the world, embrace and cherish sign language after all it has been proved to be their natural language. Sign language does not debase its users, it enhance them. It does not isolate the deaf, it liberates their souls. It connects and builds bridges. Sign language solves puzzles! That is why a deaf person brightens up when he see someone who signs whether the person is deaf or hearing. That is why a deaf child leave home often in search for people who like him who share and understand his signs. That is why life as a deaf person is worth living.
Many years ago, I went to the house of Late Dr N.F Aina, the father of Barrister Gbenga Aina. As I stepped into the living room of the late Patriarch, a big board hanged to the wall caught my attention. The board, containing sign language alphabets was strategically positioned such that it could not escape any visitor. All family members, including the extended family members, were expected to learn sign languages. The underlining ideology is that, if you cannot communicate with Barrister Bunmi, nobody would help you to do so. This arrangement extended to many of his hearing friends at Christ School, Ado-Ekiti, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife and the Nigerian law school. Barrister Gbenga Aina would later become West African's first deaf lawyer. Is this a mere coincidence? Maybe, however, this should be ideal in every home of a deaf child.
Back to the story of the deaf girl. She was about to write her Senior Secondary School Examinations when the incident occurred. Upon the completion of her examination, she did not return home. No love for her there anyway. Her education halted. She got pregnant and started a family at early age. If her parents had learned sign language, the girl might have known that her parents care about her. A bond between her and parents might have existed which served as a sort of inspiration in the turbulent journey of life of a deaf person. Maybe this would have made a difference.
The theme of this year International Week of the Deaf (IWD) is "Sign Languages, Rights for All!". As we Nigerian Deaf celebrate our IWD this week, I join Deaf people in Nigerian to eulogise Sign Language. I recommend it for every home, schools and our nation.
When conflicts and strife exist between parents and their deaf child, Sign Language is the answer.
When we talk about inclusive education for the deaf, Sign Language is the answer.
Is it about getting deaf included in all aspects of life? Sign Language is the answer.
Yes. Sign Language is the answer.
Temitope Olaniyi
National President, Deaf Teachers Association of Nigeria (DTAN)
Prostitute!
Asewo!
You will fail your exams!
You will get pregnant!
These were few statements I deciphered from the shouting and accusations which were going on in my office one day. Parents of a deaf girl had reported their daughter to some teachers. The deaf girl was sobbing as abuses and accusations continued to rain upon her. I wondered what offence she had committed to merit such disgrace. In my curiosity, I called her.
"Parents and You, what happened"? I signed.
" Parents not love me!, Parents not love me!"she signed repeatedly amidst sobbing.
I sought and got my colleagues and her parents attention.
"The girl said that her parents do not love her", I declared.
She lied.
Don't mind her.
We love her.
She is bad.
These were the replies I got.
However within me, I knew the girl had poured all her agonies into that four words - "Parents not love me". When parents claimed that they love their deaf child, but the child insisted his/her parents do not love him/her. Who do we believe?
I always recount the story of my family dog when such question pop up.
A vet officer, when administering an injection on our dog one day, mistakenly left the injection needle inside the poor dog lap who was then on loose. Groaning in pain, the dog would not allow anyone to get near him. He was literally going mad, yet the injection needle had to be pulled out.
"Go and call Tope", my Papa commanded.
I came out and got briefed on what happened. Then I called out the dog and he came to me immediately. I bended down, patted and held him. It was then that the vet officer was able to pull out the injection needle.
Why did the dog came to me? It was because I was the only one who usually gave him the attention and love he needed and I got his trust.
If a dog, being an animal, can recognise love, how much more a deaf child, being a perfect human being, a rational creature?
"Parents not love me" is widespread theme among deaf children. Many have pathetic tales of various degree of abuses. Majority resort to walking alone on life pathway bearing their agonies, frustrations, disappointments and fears all by themselves. What does "Parents not love me" implies as commonly used by deaf children?
Like their hearing counterparts, deaf children crave for love and attention from their parents. They crave for those stories being shared at family gatherings. They crave for the laughter that resonates every room in the house. They crave for the identity of not just being deaf but being part of the family, the honour as accorded to their siblings, their birthrights, their dignity. They crave for the recognition of the fact that deafness does not transform them to house helps, farm labourers and slaves. They crave for total inclusion in the family.
Whenever I meet parents with deaf child who profess great love for their children, I always pose this question to them.
If you claim you love your child so much, why do you refuse to learn sign language?
The word "refuse" as used in the question is deliberate because I observe no serious efforts or commitments on part of those parents. What a better way to show love to a deaf child other than learning sign language?
We have many parents who refuse to accept that their child is deaf. The stigma is too much for them. Hence the deafness or the deaf child must be hid. To do this, sign language is prohibited. The child is taught lipreading and trained to distinguish sounds. They prefer the Oralists, who have been in battle with sign language in the field of Deaf Education for century. In the book, "Never the Twain Shall Meet", the Oralists see deaf children as "unfit elements" in the society and the goal is to make them "fit". In so doing, they erode the dignity of a deaf child. The child grows up having identity crisis, some end up with behavioral disorders.
Deaf communities, throughout the world, embrace and cherish sign language after all it has been proved to be their natural language. Sign language does not debase its users, it enhance them. It does not isolate the deaf, it liberates their souls. It connects and builds bridges. Sign language solves puzzles! That is why a deaf person brightens up when he see someone who signs whether the person is deaf or hearing. That is why a deaf child leave home often in search for people who like him who share and understand his signs. That is why life as a deaf person is worth living.
Many years ago, I went to the house of Late Dr N.F Aina, the father of Barrister Gbenga Aina. As I stepped into the living room of the late Patriarch, a big board hanged to the wall caught my attention. The board, containing sign language alphabets was strategically positioned such that it could not escape any visitor. All family members, including the extended family members, were expected to learn sign languages. The underlining ideology is that, if you cannot communicate with Barrister Bunmi, nobody would help you to do so. This arrangement extended to many of his hearing friends at Christ School, Ado-Ekiti, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife and the Nigerian law school. Barrister Gbenga Aina would later become West African's first deaf lawyer. Is this a mere coincidence? Maybe, however, this should be ideal in every home of a deaf child.
Back to the story of the deaf girl. She was about to write her Senior Secondary School Examinations when the incident occurred. Upon the completion of her examination, she did not return home. No love for her there anyway. Her education halted. She got pregnant and started a family at early age. If her parents had learned sign language, the girl might have known that her parents care about her. A bond between her and parents might have existed which served as a sort of inspiration in the turbulent journey of life of a deaf person. Maybe this would have made a difference.
The theme of this year International Week of the Deaf (IWD) is "Sign Languages, Rights for All!". As we Nigerian Deaf celebrate our IWD this week, I join Deaf people in Nigerian to eulogise Sign Language. I recommend it for every home, schools and our nation.
When conflicts and strife exist between parents and their deaf child, Sign Language is the answer.
When we talk about inclusive education for the deaf, Sign Language is the answer.
Is it about getting deaf included in all aspects of life? Sign Language is the answer.
Yes. Sign Language is the answer.
Temitope Olaniyi
National President, Deaf Teachers Association of Nigeria (DTAN)
Comments
Post a Comment