Cape Times articles
Thursday 13 September 2012
DEAF AWARENESS DAY
I LOVE BEING DEAF
By Robyn Swannack
I was born deaf to a deaf mother and a hearing father. They didn’t know I was deaf
until, when I was nine months old, my godparents dropped something very heavy. It
made a very loud noise and I didn’t react to it.
My parents took me to an audiologist and I was diagnosed as profoundly deaf.
My mother started teaching me sign language immediately. My first sign was “light”.
When my little sister came along, our mother also taught her sign language (my sister
finally learned how to speak through our father). I was always around deaf people
because of my mother.
My first school was a hearing pre-primary school. I had a great social life because it
was very different from home and everyone was learning sign language.
But for primary school I had to go to Fulton School for the deaf because there was no
SA Sign Language (SASL) interpreter for me back then.
At Fulton I had an advantage over my classmater: I had acquired SASL from my
mother when I was very young, unlike many other deaf children. I would finish my
schoolwork too fast and have to wait, frustrated, until my classmates were finished.
I’ve always wanted to be at the same education level with other children my age.
My grandparents emigrated to Australia and told my mother about a school there that
provides a bilingual-bicultural programme for deaf and hearing children. So my
mother, sister and I moved to Australis where I attended the Toowong State School in
Brisbane for five years. My class had 30 hearing children and four deaf children.
There were two teachers, one deaf.
I loved being there. My mother had also tried to push me into speech therapy, but I
was enjoying signing too much and so I refused (now I regret it).
When I graduated from primary school, we moved back to SA. My mother couldn’t
afford an SASL interpreter for me to go to a hearing high school, so I returned to
Fulton.
They tested me and I was a full grade ahead of the other deaf children my age. Again
I was frustrated and missed having a social life. In my final year, there were only two
matric pupils.
When I applied to unversities in SA, I was accepted by the University of KwaZulu
Natal, Wits University and UCT.
I chose UCT because it was the only university that offered an interpretation service:
a SASL interpreter and note takers. My first day at UCT was so difficult: no one
could sign. I had to communicate by writing on a piece of paper. I then wished I had
learned speech therapy when I was little.
I met a few people who were very keen to learn SASL, so I started signing classes at
my residence, Clarinus and that brought me more friends.
I love being deaf and I will NEVER was to “cure” the deafness. A few Christians at
UCT have tapped m on the shoulder and asked me if they could pray to cure my
deafness.
No offence, but I think that is so funny. I refused politely and responded, “I am happy
being deaf. There is nothing wrong about being deaf, deaf people can do ANYTHING
except hear. So why would I want to hear?”
Half of the people I meet act like I’m a severely disabled person. Or like they are
scared of me, or feel sorry for me. But there is nothing to feel sorry about. The other
half don’t care that I am deaf. I like it that way.
It is my first year here at UCT, and I feel like it is my second home. I am so excited
to explore more paths to lead me to success. I would like to thank UCT’s Disability
Unit for supporting me with an interpreter and notetakers.
I wouldn’t be able to reach my goals without this service.
I would also like to thank my very good friend Lesego Modulte, for being here for me
all the time, interpreting for me and encouraging me all the way.
As for the rest of you people: treat me the way you would treat a normal girl from
now on – because I am normal.
Thank you!