What the Deaf Community Taught Me about Respect

I was actually taught Sign Language before I learned how to speak or write. I mostly learned simple words like “mom”, “dad” or “milk” but I guess it did help me communicate what I needed at a stage when I didn’t know how to speak. When I grew older and rediscovered a passion for learning the language, I eagerly joined my school’s Sign Language Club and had the honour of becoming a part of the ExCo not long after :D

I’m not deaf myself. I’m a hearing person curious about Sign and the Deaf community. This was the first community that I was not actually a part of, but really more of a guest, and I would only become aware of that distinction after joining the club. I want to share this niche aspect of my experience serving the Deaf community because I think it’s quite overlooked but can actually be applied in a lot of the things we do.

In SLC, we strive to not just teach our members the language, but the Deaf cultures we must respect and be conscientious of as well. This includes things like the way we dress (it can’t be too distracting or our signs cannot be read), the appropriate/inappropriate terms to address the deaf, and so on. We expose members to various Deaf-friendly outings and events; such as our annual SIGNature - a song signing concert where members will sign and dance along to songs for the Deaf in the audience, and even interpreter roles for events with Deaf participants.

I joined the club fully expecting to only learn Sign Language and that’s all. When I started to be lectured on what initially felt like rules and regulations, I shut off a little bit. But as more time passed and I became an ExCo, it slowly sunk in that I, the ExCo members and even our coach - ALL hearing people, are educating others about a community we don’t actually belong to. It wouldn’t be fair to the already marginalised Deaf community in Singapore if their language was taught by people who, again, aren’t them and nothing else.

I stopped treating Sign Language like a quirky fun thing I learn in my spare time, and became more of an advocate for the Deaf. I highlight lapses in accessibilities while staying mindful to not speak over the Deaf. I advise interested friends to learn Sign from a Deaf instructor directly. I make it clear to everyone that I’m not a substitute for Deaf experiences and I’m a mere student who finds a passion in serving this community.

I say that this can be applied in a lot of other things because a lot of our passions originate from communities outside of us and oftentimes we don’t bother to understand them any deeper than surface level. It’s become commonplace where something deeply rooted in a community’s culture with a rich history eventually morphs into an inaccurate caricature by clumsy outsiders. Which is completely unfair to the community it derived from in the first place >:(

This revelation has left a lasting impact on me and has made me a more curious and respectful person. I find myself doing research on different cultures and histories, cultivating a deep respect for the people behind the creation of amazing things. I could’ve just written about the standard community service experience and stop there but I believe that there was a more meaningful lesson that was worth getting into and I hope it resonates with anyone who reads this!