Sadness, upset, and disappointment with the treatment of Mrs. Risma-Minister of Social Affairs-of Deaf children who were forced to speak without being given a choice of communication and there was even a recent video showing Mrs. Risma asking a Deaf woman not to use sign language. It happened on December 1 just before the International Day of Persons with Disabilities will be held on December 3. Until now, Mrs. Risma has not apologized and even defended her a lot.
Mrs. Risma's treatment of Deaf participants was cruel and inhumanity. They show audism or the supremacy of hearing people who look down on Deaf people, which is the same as white supremacy-white people-being considered the most superior race and looking down on other races that are not white, such as black people, Asians, Latinos, and others. other. Deaf people are treated as helpless, stupid, mute, unable to be independent, have no future, and must reach the standard of hearing as the majority, such as having to be able to hear (with hearing aids or cochlear implants) and must be able to talk (with speech therapy/ articulation). Deaf people need to be pitied and considered sick. This is really cruel and dangerous. There are 90% of Deaf children born to hearing parents who don't know sign language and Deaf culture so this affects the mentally unhealthy Deaf children, for example, Deaf children experience frustration, anxiety, depression, and lose their identity. Even this can cause Deaf people to die by suicide. It happened. Many restrain and deprive Deaf children of their freedom to grow and develop with good and appropriate sign language education. This emphasizes that Deaf people really don't deserve to live and should be heard by their standards. It's sad and dangerous.
A Miracle is a powerful word for expecting a Deaf child to be able to talk and hear. It is propaganda that poisons millions of Deaf children who are forced and do not get the same access as hearing children live with the privileges they have. God gave sign language, why do you expect God to give a miracle so you can speak and hear? Isn't sign language a gift from God? Is sign language not considered a miracle? Even though sign language has many benefits that never existed in hearing culture, one of which is that people who have lost their vocal cords can still speak sign language, people who dive in the sea can speak sign language, so that sign language can be used when conditions are noisy.
I was born Deaf and went through many phases of life. I'm the most the know what I feel. You don't have to know anything about the Deaf. Whether total communication, oral method, hearing aids, whatever you offer me, I have the right to refuse and pick up sign language because I am a native Deaf person and I'm the most know how I feel. I was tortured and beaten once because I was forbidden to sign language and underwent severe speech therapy. So, it's my freedom to choose sign language.
When I speak the oral method, everyone's response to hearing is different. So, I was a bit frustrated because they have to work so hard to reach their standards especially when they respond differently. It was tiring and dizzying. I don't like being praised for my good oral speech. I don't like being compared to other Deaf people just because of their oral speech ability, because that can cause friendships to break and break up (because of jealousy over oral speech). It was very traumatic and the mental pressure was a bit painful. Therefore, I am sorry and want to apologize for what happened in the past. So, I chose sign language so that I could hope to restore broken friendships. I'm sorry and I'm guilty.
I used to not realize that sign language was a language before 2016. I thought that I had to reach the standard of hearing people in order to be accepted by the environment. I worked hard to speak. But, in fact, I will never achieve it after I joined the Deaf community and realized that sign language really helped me a lot of things, such as I had the opportunity to meet foreign Deaf people from the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom coming to Indonesia and where they work as lawyers, psychologists, professors, doctors, and soldiers. I started learning English with passion because of it even though I hated it and switched to learning Spanish. In fact, I tried to learn ASL (American Sign Language), BSL (English Sign Language), and others. They are my role models. Apart from this, I met Surya Sahetapy, Laura Lesmana, Adhi Kusumo, and also a close friend who I spent within a small house in Kaliurang, Phieter Angdika. They have studied abroad. And, there are even other Indonesian Deaf people who have living and working abroad. It makes me feel that I'm no longer alone and was no longer ashamed of being a Deaf person as I was once ashamed of who I was. I now believe in my dream and my freedom that must be owned and fought for.
The specialty of hearing people is easy to access and not having problems in their life. Deaf people always have problems. Hearing people force Deaf people to achieve their standards, but Deaf people are often rejected for various opportunities, such as education, work, to the environment, because of discriminatory requirements, such as having to use hearing aids and fluent oral speech.
But sometimes I have to think about how millions of Deaf children are born to hearing families. Will they imitate Mrs. Risma's actions, which are considered exemplary? I don't know, but it will be for sure. More Deaf children will suffer the same as I did. There is no sign language, so the Deaf child's emotions and mental health are not healthy and continue to deteriorate. It's not great but it will happen.
So, what I'm expecting? I only know that Mrs. Risma must apologize and take full responsibility for her actions in front of the millions of Deaf people who watch it both living in Indonesia and abroad. Mrs. Risma's actions clearly violated UUD No. 8 Tahun 2016 tentang Penydang Disabilitas or the disability laws in Indonesia and the ratification of the CRPD/Convention of Persons with Disabilities on the Deaf rights. Mrs. Risma has to sit down with a representative of the Deaf community. That's all I expected. Acknowledge the Indonesian sign language (BISINDO) and include Bisindo in the general school curriculum which is compulsory to be taught in all schools, both inclusive and non-inclusive schools.
And, finally, I am a proud Deaf person who uses sign language. Point. Over. No more!
Thank you.
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