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http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2006/3/23/lifefocus/13725289&sec=lifefocus
A few of you have written in to enquire about sign language (SL) recently. You were fascinated with this powerful means that the deaf use to communicate with each other.
Last week, I spoke to Lucy Lim, assistant manager of Majudiri Y Foundation for the Deaf in Kuala Lumpur, and asked her to tell me more about the special language used by the hearing impaired.
“When we think about the deaf, we sometimes forget about their indispensable partners like Sign Language Interpreters (SLI) who play an important role in enhancing the quality of their lives and speaking up for them,” says Lim, who is a professional SLI with more than 20 years of experience.
“Just like the physically disabled or the blind, the deaf also need a special ‘companion’ to help them lead independent lives. For the deaf community, the SLIs empower them to access information and give them the freedom to participate in the hearing world.
Lim relates a historic conference she attended last year – the World Association of Sign Language Interpreters (Wasli) which was held in Worcester, South Africa.
“It was the first-ever conference for SLIs, and it was held from Oct 31 to Nov 2,” says Lim. “The conference, which took years in the making, is a significant development for all SLIs as it underscores the integral role that we play in the lives of the deaf.”
Lim said as many as 250 SLIs from 40 countries had converged at Worcester.
The highlight of the conference was the Wasli Worcester Declaration which the members adopted. Among other things, the declaration – dated Nov 2, 2005 – was drawn up to ratify the existence of Wasli and to work towards the establishment of SLI associations in countries where currently none exist.
The Worcester Declaration aims to foster partnerships with associations of deaf people, encourage the development of SL interpreting as a profession, and collaborate with developing nations to provide training for SL interpreters,
Another goal of the declaration is to get SLIs worldwide to exchange ideas and experiences with one another through conferences.
Malaysia was represented by the Majudiri Y Foundation, and SLIs from the Society of Interpreters for the Deaf, Selangor & the Federal Territory, and the Malaysian Federation of the Deaf.
“Following the conference, Zane Hema – a British SL-and-English language interpreter and the newly-elected Secretary of Wasli – visited Majudiri Y Foundation last week as part of his Asian tour,” says Lim. “Hema touched base with our local SLIs and got a first-hand look at their work.”
During Hema’s four-day visit, he conducted a workshop on skills development for SLIs which was attended by 30 interpreters & SL students.
Lim describes the Wasli conference as an eye-opening experience.
“Not only were the presenters all very skilled in their delivery, it was uplifting for me to see a number of deaf interpreters in the profession. Many of the experiences faced by deaf interpreters were also similar to the ones faced by other SLIs.
“Although Malaysia has yet to establish a national body of SLIs, we hope that this will be possible in the near future,” Lim adds.
The Majudiri Y Foundation for the Deaf is located at 26A, Jalan Padang Belia, 50470 Kuala Lumpur (03-22743766/03-22740839 / e-mail: sign@pd.jaring.my). For details on the upcoming April 2007 Wasli conference, visit: www.criticallink2007.com
A few of you have written in to enquire about sign language (SL) recently. You were fascinated with this powerful means that the deaf use to communicate with each other.
Last week, I spoke to Lucy Lim, assistant manager of Majudiri Y Foundation for the Deaf in Kuala Lumpur, and asked her to tell me more about the special language used by the hearing impaired.
“When we think about the deaf, we sometimes forget about their indispensable partners like Sign Language Interpreters (SLI) who play an important role in enhancing the quality of their lives and speaking up for them,” says Lim, who is a professional SLI with more than 20 years of experience.
“Just like the physically disabled or the blind, the deaf also need a special ‘companion’ to help them lead independent lives. For the deaf community, the SLIs empower them to access information and give them the freedom to participate in the hearing world.
Lim relates a historic conference she attended last year – the World Association of Sign Language Interpreters (Wasli) which was held in Worcester, South Africa.
“It was the first-ever conference for SLIs, and it was held from Oct 31 to Nov 2,” says Lim. “The conference, which took years in the making, is a significant development for all SLIs as it underscores the integral role that we play in the lives of the deaf.”
Lim said as many as 250 SLIs from 40 countries had converged at Worcester.
The highlight of the conference was the Wasli Worcester Declaration which the members adopted. Among other things, the declaration – dated Nov 2, 2005 – was drawn up to ratify the existence of Wasli and to work towards the establishment of SLI associations in countries where currently none exist.
The Worcester Declaration aims to foster partnerships with associations of deaf people, encourage the development of SL interpreting as a profession, and collaborate with developing nations to provide training for SL interpreters,
Another goal of the declaration is to get SLIs worldwide to exchange ideas and experiences with one another through conferences.
Malaysia was represented by the Majudiri Y Foundation, and SLIs from the Society of Interpreters for the Deaf, Selangor & the Federal Territory, and the Malaysian Federation of the Deaf.
“Following the conference, Zane Hema – a British SL-and-English language interpreter and the newly-elected Secretary of Wasli – visited Majudiri Y Foundation last week as part of his Asian tour,” says Lim. “Hema touched base with our local SLIs and got a first-hand look at their work.”
During Hema’s four-day visit, he conducted a workshop on skills development for SLIs which was attended by 30 interpreters & SL students.
Lim describes the Wasli conference as an eye-opening experience.
“Not only were the presenters all very skilled in their delivery, it was uplifting for me to see a number of deaf interpreters in the profession. Many of the experiences faced by deaf interpreters were also similar to the ones faced by other SLIs.
“Although Malaysia has yet to establish a national body of SLIs, we hope that this will be possible in the near future,” Lim adds.
The Majudiri Y Foundation for the Deaf is located at 26A, Jalan Padang Belia, 50470 Kuala Lumpur (03-22743766/03-22740839 / e-mail: sign@pd.jaring.my). For details on the upcoming April 2007 Wasli conference, visit: www.criticallink2007.com