Never Met Another Deaf Person: Deaf Children, Remote Villages

Never Met Another Deaf Person

[Image description: A man sits behind a table. At the start of the video, he is nodding vigorously in response to someone who is off camera. He signs in Ghana Sign Language.]

“That is a true story! One time I went to a village in a remote area. A sign language interpreter went with me. We met with three or four deaf children. The interpreter spoke. People listened and understood that of course he spoke.

“But then I started signing and people were startled and then confused. They asked, ‘Who are you?’ The interpreter told them, ‘This is a Deaf man who flew to America to study.’ They said, ‘That’s impossible! He’s deaf! The interpreter is white. But him? How!? That does not work!’

“I told them, ‘I’m Deaf, I can communicate.’ The family started to understand. Meanwhile, the deaf child was watching me. Funny [odd], when I left, the child cried. Why? Because he knew that he and I were the same. I went to visit many deaf people.

Breaking the Cycle

“Now those children have grown. I could show you pictures. All together, maybe 13 children. Before they lived in darkness, in remote places. They never met another Deaf person. They were confined to a room. Their families were afraid, if they go out maybe they’ll be hit by a car. They were protective.

“When I came, I broke that cycle. I told them, ‘No! He can go to a deaf school!’ They were surprised. ‘They have a deaf school?’ I told them, ‘Yes! They have a deaf school!’ I helped them find money so they could send their deaf child to school.

“But after I left, they took that money, ignored the deaf child, and used the money for their hearing children. Later, the deaf boy saw me and said he still could not write. I asked, ‘Why?’ The mother did not really have a clear answer. I told her, “No, he must go to school.’ Now the boy is grown. He knows signing, he knows this and this, and he knows himself.”