Miss-Delectable
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'We are human beings too' - JAMAICAOBSERVER.COM
Respect from their fellow Jamaicans emerged as the overriding concern among 23 hearing-impaired students who yesterday competed in the annual Communication Contest for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, put on by the Caribbean District of Optimist International.
"The hearing population has a big problem in understanding us," explained Jhovan Salmon, a student of Danny Williams School for the Deaf. "They believe that the deaf are 'dummies', as we are often classified. They see us as sitting in the streets begging for money."
Salmon, who communicated in Jamaica Sign Language (JSL), raised what is obviously the burning issue of respect in his presentation at the Altamont Court Hotel in Kingston.
"In essence, hearing people have no respect for deaf people," he said. "Hearing people try to make us feel that we are not human beings."
His sentiments were echoed by every other deaf/hard of hearing student in the competition, including Daneil Palmer.
"When I am walking, no one sees me. When I speak, no one hears me. But I do not blame you. Society did not teach you how to treat me or to understand me," said Palmer, a student of Excelsior Primary School, who also communicated in JSL.
Meanwhile, among the range of needs the students identified were:
. additional sign language interpreters in schools to help enhance their ability to learn in the mainstream school system;
. the reintroduction of sign language interpreters to local television to enable them to keep on top of what is happening in their world;
. the implementation of some sort of initiative that would allow for their participation in sports, especially athletics;
. the issuing of stern directives to JUTC drivers/conductors regarding their payment of bus fares to guard against their being abused; and
. the offering of scholarships to enable the deaf/hard of hearing to access higher education in increased numbers.
Optimist District Governor Sonia Anderson said that the competition, which started 12 years ago, had served this year as useful food for thought for all in the hearing population.
"The value to me is the knowledge that has been imparted by these young people. They were able to educate us, to share with us the challenges they face in our world, which is also their world," she told the Sunday Observer.
Anderson added that the club would be lobbying to have the issues raised by the children aired throughout the island and addressed.
"As the children spoke, I tried to take notes, but afterwards I said 'I need a copy of all these presentations' because there was so much
value in them. And so if we do nothing else, we need to address or advocate for some other body to do some of these things," she said.
Respect from their fellow Jamaicans emerged as the overriding concern among 23 hearing-impaired students who yesterday competed in the annual Communication Contest for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, put on by the Caribbean District of Optimist International.
"The hearing population has a big problem in understanding us," explained Jhovan Salmon, a student of Danny Williams School for the Deaf. "They believe that the deaf are 'dummies', as we are often classified. They see us as sitting in the streets begging for money."
Salmon, who communicated in Jamaica Sign Language (JSL), raised what is obviously the burning issue of respect in his presentation at the Altamont Court Hotel in Kingston.
"In essence, hearing people have no respect for deaf people," he said. "Hearing people try to make us feel that we are not human beings."
His sentiments were echoed by every other deaf/hard of hearing student in the competition, including Daneil Palmer.
"When I am walking, no one sees me. When I speak, no one hears me. But I do not blame you. Society did not teach you how to treat me or to understand me," said Palmer, a student of Excelsior Primary School, who also communicated in JSL.
Meanwhile, among the range of needs the students identified were:
. additional sign language interpreters in schools to help enhance their ability to learn in the mainstream school system;
. the reintroduction of sign language interpreters to local television to enable them to keep on top of what is happening in their world;
. the implementation of some sort of initiative that would allow for their participation in sports, especially athletics;
. the issuing of stern directives to JUTC drivers/conductors regarding their payment of bus fares to guard against their being abused; and
. the offering of scholarships to enable the deaf/hard of hearing to access higher education in increased numbers.
Optimist District Governor Sonia Anderson said that the competition, which started 12 years ago, had served this year as useful food for thought for all in the hearing population.
"The value to me is the knowledge that has been imparted by these young people. They were able to educate us, to share with us the challenges they face in our world, which is also their world," she told the Sunday Observer.
Anderson added that the club would be lobbying to have the issues raised by the children aired throughout the island and addressed.
"As the children spoke, I tried to take notes, but afterwards I said 'I need a copy of all these presentations' because there was so much
value in them. And so if we do nothing else, we need to address or advocate for some other body to do some of these things," she said.