Sign language specialists help the deaf enjoy the world
Sign language specialists help the deaf enjoy the world
By Martina Tobing
JAKARTA (JP): Most of the deaf among us learn to be
independent in a hearing world, but they are "different" when it
comes to things like following news broadcasts.
Recently, however, the problem was remedied here, at least on
television.
The end of April saw the beginning of simultaneous signed
interpretations on the daily 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. televised
newscasts on the state-owned television station, TVRI.
It started as a response to the call of Minister of Education
and Culture Wardiman Djojonegoro for a nation-wide campaign to
popularize sign language.
TVRI now has four sign language specialists who are teachers
at local schools for the deaf.
"My students are very excited about being able to follow the
news now," said Jahidin, one of the teachers.
"Even though they do miss some of it, they feel that they
finally belong. It gives them self-confidence."
A high school student says "it is good."
"Now the deaf are able to understand the news too, and we can
learn some sign language!" said Rini Hutabarat.
Peni, an employee at a library in Tebet, South Jakarta, is
learning sign language from her deaf friends.
Though her friends say her signing is still difficult to
follow, "I am very happy that at least the problem is being
addressed," Peni said.
"I can't follow the mouth movements well," sighed 14-year-old
Vera, a student at a special school in Bekasi, east of here.
Agustini from Cengkareng, West Jakarta, another deaf member of
the audience, feels the same way though she is grateful for the
new development.
In her recent letter published in Suara Pembaruan afternoon
daily she suggested the use of a "telecaption decoder"
which is available in the U.S. for the deaf.
Other reactions have not all been positive.
One communications observer who requested anonymity stated
clearly that the interpreting activity in the lower right-hand
corner of the TV screen is bothersome to the "normal" audience.
There are only around 6,000 deaf Indonesians, the observer
said. Of those only half know sign language and maybe 1,000 to
2,000 have a television set.
"So (the deaf) should have their own program," the source
suggested.
Nevertheless viewers with hearing disabilities are glad about
the program.
"Now most of them gather around the TV set during the evening
news," said Minaning.
Right
Given the excitement around the new program, hopefully the
"normal" audience will not be bothered for very long.
Deaf people, just like others with disabilities, have the same
constitutional right to equal opportunities in education,
employment and the rest of thier life.
Being deaf does not indicate a lack of intelligence or an
inability to learn or work.
However, the public's opinion of deafness differs from other
handicaps. The conventional wisdom runs that they are not
"normal" and therefore should not expect to have a "normal" life,
and they should by no means interfere with "normal" peoples
television.
That deaf children are just like hearing children was easy to
see: At the dorm in their school in Bekasi they communicated
freely with me, giggling and pushing each other while signs were
flashed back and forth, elbowing one another before the mirror
when getting prettied-up before going to church.
The difference with "normal" pre-teens was only that their
laughing and disagreeing was done rather quietly, with just the
sounds of their attempted verbalization of words along with the
signs.
Total communication
The use of sign language in Indonesia is relatively new, says
Mrs. Baron Sutadisastra, the person who introduced it here.
In a recent interview at her home in Tebet, South Jakarta,
Baron said Indonesia's deaf have been "rigidly oral ever since
the Dutch time", meaning that they communicated by lip reading.
During her stay in the United States Mrs. Baron studied "Total
Communication", or the simultaneous use of sign language and
speech, and realized the need for it in Indonesia.
Upon her return here in 1979 she introduced what is known as
American Sign Language (ASL) through the Zinnia school for the
hearing impaired.
She said that ASL consists of signs for words and concepts,
while names or words for which no signs exist are spelled out
with finger signs.
This means that deaf Indonesians can basically communicate
with their American counterparts, without having to know each
others language.
"Within two months they were able to understand and sign 140
words," said Baron proudly.
She then started putting a sign language dictionary together
based on Lottie Riekehof's The Joy of Signing.
Riekehof is a lecturer at America's Galaudet University, the
only university in the world for the deaf, said Mrs. Baron.
"But too many Indonesian words have been added, and many signs
were changed to accommodate the Indonesian language", she said
with regret.
However, she agreed that adaptations are needed to accommodate
cultural differences, in which Imas Gunawan of the Zinnia school
in Tebet, South Jakarta, has played a significant role.
The latest development on television is "my dream comes true"
said a happy Baron.
But, "Until the interpreters have perfected it I think once a
day is enough."
Echoing other people's hopes that the program may stimulate
interest in learning sign language, she added it takes just 30
hours to learn the basics.