Sign Language and Deaf Education in South Africa

[Description: The video opens to show Ayanda Ntukwana seated in front of a brightly colored mural. The mural shows a scene of children playing in an open green field, with a large yellow sun glowing across the sky. The drawing also shows many hands emerging into the frame from the bottom, sides and top of the mural. The hands are in many colors and shades. Ayanda Ntukwana signs in South African Sign Language for the video, and subtitles are in English.]

“Hi. My name is Ayanda Ntukwana. This is my sign name. [Brushes finger and thumb down her nose.]

“I have been working at SLED for 7 years.

“At SLED I focus on facilitating South African Sign Language training. I have a great passion for teaching Deaf children.

“The way I most like to use my skills, is that I love teaching Deaf children directly and to empower them.”

[Ayanda Ntukwana picks up two DVD boxes from a stool next to her and shows them to the camera.]

“I chose these SLED DVDs, about (sign name of Sara Baartman). [DVDs: Sara Baartman Biography and the poem In praise of Sara Baartman] Her name was Sara Baartman. She was marginalized and suffering for years and years. She was also Black and I feel like I have some things in common with her.

“My dream for Deaf education is that Deaf children build excellent knowledge of South African Sign Language, as their own language, and to empower themselves.

“Thank you.”

[At the end of the video, the following credits are shown on the screen:

Filmed “all in a days work” at the SLED Johannesburg Office for Deaf Awareness 2018.
Background art panels by Abram Moyaha
Captions by Yuvini Gounden
www.sled.org.za
email [email protected]
facebook @SLEDsignlanguage]