‘Sign up for sign language,’ says Durban North rugby player

AS South Africa commemorates Deaf Awareness Month in September, Durban North resident, Mark Barnard reflects on the importance of sign language in the Deaf community. Barnard is a capped international for the South African Deaf rugby team.

“Most recently, I captained the South African Deaf Invitational XV side in the 2019 Stones Cup (essentially the Deaf version of the Currie Cup), and am currently playing for Crusaders at club level, where I’m trying to push myself to a higher level of performance. I’ve been privileged to have had many dedicated, inspirational coaches, as well as incredibly supportive teammates,” he said.

Also read: Parliament mulls Sign Language as official language

Barnard who is an educator at Fulton School for the Deaf, is Hard of Hearing (HoH).

“I grew up speaking English and learning at mainstream schools, in the hearing world, with a hearing family and friends. It wasn’t until I was 15 that I first met someone who was Deaf, and I was 20 when I started learning South African Sign Language (SASL). Physically, I am profoundly deaf – most sounds need to be 90dB or louder for me to be able to hear them (anything above a 70dB loss is considered deaf). I wear two hearing aids to communicate,” he said.

Barnard explained that there is a distinction between being Deaf and being deaf. Written with a lower case ‘d’, deaf refers to the medical condition, while a capatilised, ‘Deaf’ refers to people who are culturally Deaf.

Also read: Sign language to become 12th official language

“This means that sign language is your primary mode of communication and that you are actively part of the Deaf community. Hearing Impaired is a term that’s seen as derogatory or politically incorrect, and should really be avoided,” explained Barnard.

The best way for the hearing community to support the Deaf community is by supporting Deaf education by donating supplies to Deaf schools and learning to communicate effectively, said Barnard.

“First prize is if you learn SASL, but obviously that’s not always possible. When in doubt, write it down. Make sure you are facing the person you are speaking to, and don’t cover your mouth. Check your lighting – light on your face is good, light behind you is bad. Speak normally, if a little louder, and don’t exaggerate your words,” he said.

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