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Empowering the deaf
A local organisation has played a major role in helping the deaf cope with their disability and integrate with the world outside.
YMCA Kuala Lumpur was one of the first organisations to open its doors to the hearing disabled back in 1973.
It established the first Deaf Youth Club in 1983, and the “Y” Self-Reliance Centre for the Deaf (PMY) in 1985. It was a vocational training centre aimed a creating public awareness of the deaf, ensure the deaf community’s holistic development and to ease their integration into all spheres of society.
Originally offering only three courses - namely, tailoring, drafting and typewriting - the PMY is not just a training provider as it has branched out into other spheres, including early intervention programmes.
“Our approach is integrated and we believe in starting young,” says YMCA director Wan Thong Choon. “We have a parent-infant preschool programme, an early intervention programme for children aged between one and three as well as preschool training.
“We also provide support and counselling services as some parents may find it difficult to accept that their children are deaf. For cultural reasons, some view their deaf children as a sign of bad luck and even fall into depression.”
Once they are eligible, the children join the Deaf Kids Club (DKC) and later the Deaf Teens Club (DTC) where they are exposed to social and leadership skills to improve their self-esteem. As most of the children in the DKC and DTC are students, tuition is also provided to reinforce what they learn in school.
Living and coping skills are also included in the training programme.
“Some deaf children may be over-protected at home and there is a need to expose them,’’ said Wan.
This concept of self-reliance is drummed into the members. By the time they join the adults Deaf Club, many are able to integrate into the larger community outside.
Informative sessions
The Deaf Club organises several workshops, seminars, exchange programmes and recreational activities. Many of them are initiated by the deaf in collaboration with government and private agencies.
The workshops include financial planning for senior citizens, Social Security Organisation (Socso) benefits, employer and employee expectations, workers’ rights, employment support, taxation, insurance, health and wellness, AIDS awareness and menopause.
“Professionals from government departments like the Inland Revenue Board and health organisations conduct these workshops with the aid of a sign language interpreter,” says club president Yap Yun Siong, who works as a clerk at a construction company.
“These workshops educate deaf adults about the working world, their rights and health.”
“We’re also moving into organising leadership training and personal development sessions,’’ said Yap.
Treasurer Alvan Soon Khoi Sum adds: “The deaf can learn a lot at the PMY and I was exposed to finance through a workshop. It is also important to participate in beneficial activities such as kayaking which I learnt through the club.
An aluminium fabricator by trade, Soon is unperturbed by his deafness. Apart from kayaking, he enjoys interacting and hanging out with friends, fishing and playing computer games.
Interacting with others
In 1998, the Friends of the Deaf Club (FOD) was launched to offer a platform for hearing people to interact with the deaf through recreational activities and community based projects.
Part-time deaf sign language teacher Eng Foong Mei notes that lessons on sign language are often an eye-opener for most of the hearing first-timers.
“My students don’t talk to each other in class and there is total silence.
“Communicating with each other using sign language helps them learn faster,’’ she says, adding that being in a deaf person’s shoes builds greater understanding.
“I feel happy teaching them because they are very interested to learn. Many of them are highly receptive and responsive and seeing them socialise with each other using sign language is very fulfilling.”
Sharing her enthusiasm, FOD member Jared Ooi Tze Haw is happy about his decision to learn sign language and hopes more hearing people will pick it up.
“Learning sign language is very beneficial. Even some big budget Hong Kong dramas cast deaf people as sub-characters.
“I find the deaf culture fascinating as deaf people listen with their eyes and talk with their hands. Although it was a little hard in the beginning, learning sign language has helped me become more dedicated and patient.”
The deaf community has also reached out to others by organising camps for the mentally disabled children at Bethany Home and Wisma Harapan.
The Deaf Club has even organised a trip to Hanoi, Vietnam to enable members to interact with the deaf community there. A second trip to Ho Chi Minh City will be held next month.
The road ahead
However, integrating with the larger community still poses a problem for some €” especially when it comes to employment opportunities. “Sadly, some hearing people think that we’re not capable enough,” muses Eng. “They automatically write us off and fail to see that we are good workers.
“Many deaf people excel in their fields be it as a chef, designer, teacher or even an accountant.”
Wan points out that although greater awareness has made it easier for many of the deaf to secure employment, a deaf person’s career path may not be as smooth because employers place a premium on communication.
“Deaf people communicate through sign language gestures, writing or typing,” he says. “This may be a problem as most hearing people in the office don’t know sign language and the information flow is interrupted.”
Another issue is the employment expectations of the deaf themselves. According to the University of Nottingham’s assistant professor in applied developmental psychology Ma Regina L. de Gracia, also an FOD member, some deaf people don’t really know what career to pursue.
“I was working with deaf people in the Philippines prior to this and many were surprised that they could work as graphic and web designers, layout artists and computer programmers.
“Deaf people sometimes struggle with their identity and giving them more confidence is something important.”
Ma Regina has conducted seminars on employing the deaf and says that greater support is needed.
“People must understand that while we may look the same, the deaf react very differently. Communication can be hard in the beginning but working with a deaf employee is often a fulfilling experience.”
A local organisation has played a major role in helping the deaf cope with their disability and integrate with the world outside.
YMCA Kuala Lumpur was one of the first organisations to open its doors to the hearing disabled back in 1973.
It established the first Deaf Youth Club in 1983, and the “Y” Self-Reliance Centre for the Deaf (PMY) in 1985. It was a vocational training centre aimed a creating public awareness of the deaf, ensure the deaf community’s holistic development and to ease their integration into all spheres of society.
Originally offering only three courses - namely, tailoring, drafting and typewriting - the PMY is not just a training provider as it has branched out into other spheres, including early intervention programmes.
“Our approach is integrated and we believe in starting young,” says YMCA director Wan Thong Choon. “We have a parent-infant preschool programme, an early intervention programme for children aged between one and three as well as preschool training.
“We also provide support and counselling services as some parents may find it difficult to accept that their children are deaf. For cultural reasons, some view their deaf children as a sign of bad luck and even fall into depression.”
Once they are eligible, the children join the Deaf Kids Club (DKC) and later the Deaf Teens Club (DTC) where they are exposed to social and leadership skills to improve their self-esteem. As most of the children in the DKC and DTC are students, tuition is also provided to reinforce what they learn in school.
Living and coping skills are also included in the training programme.
“Some deaf children may be over-protected at home and there is a need to expose them,’’ said Wan.
This concept of self-reliance is drummed into the members. By the time they join the adults Deaf Club, many are able to integrate into the larger community outside.
Informative sessions
The Deaf Club organises several workshops, seminars, exchange programmes and recreational activities. Many of them are initiated by the deaf in collaboration with government and private agencies.
The workshops include financial planning for senior citizens, Social Security Organisation (Socso) benefits, employer and employee expectations, workers’ rights, employment support, taxation, insurance, health and wellness, AIDS awareness and menopause.
“Professionals from government departments like the Inland Revenue Board and health organisations conduct these workshops with the aid of a sign language interpreter,” says club president Yap Yun Siong, who works as a clerk at a construction company.
“These workshops educate deaf adults about the working world, their rights and health.”
“We’re also moving into organising leadership training and personal development sessions,’’ said Yap.
Treasurer Alvan Soon Khoi Sum adds: “The deaf can learn a lot at the PMY and I was exposed to finance through a workshop. It is also important to participate in beneficial activities such as kayaking which I learnt through the club.
An aluminium fabricator by trade, Soon is unperturbed by his deafness. Apart from kayaking, he enjoys interacting and hanging out with friends, fishing and playing computer games.
Interacting with others
In 1998, the Friends of the Deaf Club (FOD) was launched to offer a platform for hearing people to interact with the deaf through recreational activities and community based projects.
Part-time deaf sign language teacher Eng Foong Mei notes that lessons on sign language are often an eye-opener for most of the hearing first-timers.
“My students don’t talk to each other in class and there is total silence.
“Communicating with each other using sign language helps them learn faster,’’ she says, adding that being in a deaf person’s shoes builds greater understanding.
“I feel happy teaching them because they are very interested to learn. Many of them are highly receptive and responsive and seeing them socialise with each other using sign language is very fulfilling.”
Sharing her enthusiasm, FOD member Jared Ooi Tze Haw is happy about his decision to learn sign language and hopes more hearing people will pick it up.
“Learning sign language is very beneficial. Even some big budget Hong Kong dramas cast deaf people as sub-characters.
“I find the deaf culture fascinating as deaf people listen with their eyes and talk with their hands. Although it was a little hard in the beginning, learning sign language has helped me become more dedicated and patient.”
The deaf community has also reached out to others by organising camps for the mentally disabled children at Bethany Home and Wisma Harapan.
The Deaf Club has even organised a trip to Hanoi, Vietnam to enable members to interact with the deaf community there. A second trip to Ho Chi Minh City will be held next month.
The road ahead
However, integrating with the larger community still poses a problem for some €” especially when it comes to employment opportunities. “Sadly, some hearing people think that we’re not capable enough,” muses Eng. “They automatically write us off and fail to see that we are good workers.
“Many deaf people excel in their fields be it as a chef, designer, teacher or even an accountant.”
Wan points out that although greater awareness has made it easier for many of the deaf to secure employment, a deaf person’s career path may not be as smooth because employers place a premium on communication.
“Deaf people communicate through sign language gestures, writing or typing,” he says. “This may be a problem as most hearing people in the office don’t know sign language and the information flow is interrupted.”
Another issue is the employment expectations of the deaf themselves. According to the University of Nottingham’s assistant professor in applied developmental psychology Ma Regina L. de Gracia, also an FOD member, some deaf people don’t really know what career to pursue.
“I was working with deaf people in the Philippines prior to this and many were surprised that they could work as graphic and web designers, layout artists and computer programmers.
“Deaf people sometimes struggle with their identity and giving them more confidence is something important.”
Ma Regina has conducted seminars on employing the deaf and says that greater support is needed.
“People must understand that while we may look the same, the deaf react very differently. Communication can be hard in the beginning but working with a deaf employee is often a fulfilling experience.”