Deaf and blind man mastered the art of karate after being followed

Miss-Delectable · 05-27-2005, 07:34 AM

http://www.leamingtonspatoday.co.uk/...icleID=1038177

Deaf and blind man mastered the art of karate after being followedFor some people coping without eyesight and hearing in a day to day job would be a challenge in itself.
But for blind and deaf karate student Justin Wright a disability is not something which will hold him back.

The 31-year-old, of Charlotte Street, Leamington, will be graduating to his yellow belt after a successful run of competitions against able-bodied opponents.

Justin was born, in South Africa, with limited vision and he lost his hearing when he was only five-years-old.

Having heard speech at a young age Justin can speak and is understood by close friends and family but communicates by having people spell out words with their fingers on to the palm of his hand.

At work he uses text or email which he reads on a magnified computer screen or on his adapted laptop which he can take to meetings.

Justin said: "Growing up was as normal as possible, the only thing that other kids could do better was see and hear. Everyone in my family looked out for me, made sure there wasn't any obstacles around the house and garden."

He moved to Leamington in 2002 after a short time in Bristol and took up his job as a stockbroker at HSBC where he has made many friends.

"Moving was rather exciting really. It did have its anxieties but some of my colleagues had trained with us in London and a few from the old office relocated here. They helped me with getting around. When I became a bit familiar with the area I did a bit of exploring on my own, I guess I sort of memorise my way around as I don't read street names. I can talk to the staff at the gym or the regulars down the pub - they all know me- but not to random strangers as I wouldn't know if they were talking to me."

Justin has learnt to adapt to his environment and memorises new places and the layout of his home and the office.

"The main difficulties are finding places I haven't been to before, and communicating with staff in banks, post offices, railway stations and the like. If I tell them I'm deaf, they'll write it down but that doesn't help as I can't read that unless they write inch-high letters. The glass partitions make it impossible for the clerk to sign on my hand."

Justin started Karate two years ago and was selected as the male student of merit at a recent competition where he came second out of 400 competitors.

"Some creep followed me home from the station one night. Nothing happened, but it made me realise my laptop made me a potential target for mugging. I felt I should learn some self-defence and started exploring the various forms of martial arts.

"I try to copy my sensei. If I can't see the move clearly he will try to guide me through. It takes a lot of effort and practice to get the techniques right."

During competitions Justin will be told when the match has started and finished but will not be assisted in any other way.

He hopes that his story will be inspirational to others who feel unable to do the activities they want.

"I think a lot of deafblind people, and perhaps people with other disabilities, stay at home because their carers or parents worry something horrible might happen to them.

"Although they have the disabled person's best interests at heart, this should not have to prevent them from taking up an activity like karate or participating more fully in the community. Horrible things happen to non-disabled people all the time - you can't protect someone from everything."

Roadrunner · 05-27-2005, 09:34 AM

Really interesting, his life and inspirations definitely would make a great movie! Imagining many obstacles that this man has indeed overcome is truly inspiring and is to be commended. Thanks for sharing this!

05-27-2005, 07:34 AM	#1 (permalink)
Miss-Delectable Capt Tony Nelson, Jeannie Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: No.1 Shopping Capital in Australia Posts: 10,238 Blog Entries: 3	Deaf and blind man mastered the art of karate after being followed http://www.leamingtonspatoday.co.uk/...icleID=1038177 Deaf and blind man mastered the art of karate after being followedFor some people coping without eyesight and hearing in a day to day job would be a challenge in itself. But for blind and deaf karate student Justin Wright a disability is not something which will hold him back. The 31-year-old, of Charlotte Street, Leamington, will be graduating to his yellow belt after a successful run of competitions against able-bodied opponents. Justin was born, in South Africa, with limited vision and he lost his hearing when he was only five-years-old. Having heard speech at a young age Justin can speak and is understood by close friends and family but communicates by having people spell out words with their fingers on to the palm of his hand. At work he uses text or email which he reads on a magnified computer screen or on his adapted laptop which he can take to meetings. Justin said: "Growing up was as normal as possible, the only thing that other kids could do better was see and hear. Everyone in my family looked out for me, made sure there wasn't any obstacles around the house and garden." He moved to Leamington in 2002 after a short time in Bristol and took up his job as a stockbroker at HSBC where he has made many friends. "Moving was rather exciting really. It did have its anxieties but some of my colleagues had trained with us in London and a few from the old office relocated here. They helped me with getting around. When I became a bit familiar with the area I did a bit of exploring on my own, I guess I sort of memorise my way around as I don't read street names. I can talk to the staff at the gym or the regulars down the pub - they all know me- but not to random strangers as I wouldn't know if they were talking to me." Justin has learnt to adapt to his environment and memorises new places and the layout of his home and the office. "The main difficulties are finding places I haven't been to before, and communicating with staff in banks, post offices, railway stations and the like. If I tell them I'm deaf, they'll write it down but that doesn't help as I can't read that unless they write inch-high letters. The glass partitions make it impossible for the clerk to sign on my hand." Justin started Karate two years ago and was selected as the male student of merit at a recent competition where he came second out of 400 competitors. "Some creep followed me home from the station one night. Nothing happened, but it made me realise my laptop made me a potential target for mugging. I felt I should learn some self-defence and started exploring the various forms of martial arts. "I try to copy my sensei. If I can't see the move clearly he will try to guide me through. It takes a lot of effort and practice to get the techniques right." During competitions Justin will be told when the match has started and finished but will not be assisted in any other way. He hopes that his story will be inspirational to others who feel unable to do the activities they want. "I think a lot of deafblind people, and perhaps people with other disabilities, stay at home because their carers or parents worry something horrible might happen to them. "Although they have the disabled person's best interests at heart, this should not have to prevent them from taking up an activity like karate or participating more fully in the community. Horrible things happen to non-disabled people all the time - you can't protect someone from everything." __________________

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05-27-2005, 09:34 AM	#2 (permalink)
Roadrunner Registered User Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Ohio Posts: 7,090	Really interesting, his life and inspirations definitely would make a great movie! Imagining many obstacles that this man has indeed overcome is truly inspiring and is to be commended. Thanks for sharing this!