MARCH may be known as Human Rights month, but it is also used by the KZN Blind & Deaf Society to highlight a fundamental right, the right to be able to communicate and be communicated with.

Three years ago, the society launched the Talk Sign campaign, unique to the province, which is an initiative to encourage people to learn sign language as well as raise money through the sale of Talk Sign stickers to help educate and find employment for people who are deaf or hard of hearing.

Each year, the campaign focused on a specific theme; this year’s theme was ‘Let’s Connect’.

Northglen News recently caught up with Shamila Surjoo, director of the KZN Blind & Deaf Society, and Prestondale resident and former Miss Deaf SA winner, Shelley Ferreira, to find out about the initiative.

“We’ve been trying very hard to market the campaign and make it a national initiative but it has not yet caught on in other provinces. I think it’s an important awareness initiative, mainly because the barriers between the hearing and non-hearing world are so vast.

“We want people to imagine everyday situations as a deaf person and realise the struggles they face to communicate. We all need to communicate with each other. Imagine how lonely it must be when you don’t understand what the people around you are saying and no-one understands what you are trying to say. Our aim is to make sign language South Africa’s twelfth official language, not only for people who are deaf but for everyone’s benefit,” Surjoo said.

Ferreira concurred with Surjoo, saying more needed to be done from a national point of view. As a Talk Sign ambassador, Shelley understands the hardships of the hearing impaired.

“I’ve tried my best to raise awareness by trying to be more visual. If you urge people to learn sign language, they won’t really attempt it. But if you show them, I think the results are more encouraging. On Talk Sign Day I taught my colleagues at work how to sign their names, which they all enjoyed.

“I’ve also started an Instagram account called Instasign, which I’m using to go through the sign language alphabet.”