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.