Reigning Miss South Africa Mia le Roux and sign language advocate says differently abled people should stop apologising for not being what society deems “normal”.
Le Roux, the first differently abled Miss South Africa, said this as she joined the Gauteng Department of Education’s Sign Language and Music Enhancement Mini Festival at the Transoranje School for the Deaf in Pretoria West on Tuesday.
MIA LE ROUX SHINES THE SPOTLIGHT ON DIVERSITY
Le Roux, diagnosed with hearing loss at the tender age of one, vowed to champion the causes that matter to South Africans and create a space where everyone can shine in their unique, beautiful way.
The 29-year-old said diversity should be embraced and told differently-abled learners to stop apologising for being different and for being something that society does not expect one to be.
“Believe in yourself because you are capable of so much. Diversity is extremely important because we all bring something unique to the table and can build something stronger, which also enriches South Africa,” Le Roux said.
GAUTENG DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION PILOTS SIGN LANGUAGE PROGRAMME
The Multi-Certification Skills Programme, introduced in 2019, aims to empower learners within the Gauteng schooling system with a comprehensive set of skills and competencies that transcend the confines of traditional academic curricula.
The Gauteng Department of Education said the programme plays a crucial role in fostering inclusivity and ensuring that sign language is integral to building a more inclusive and connected society.
Notably, since the programme’s inception in 2019, a total of 13 472 hearing Grade 5 learners have received a basic introduction to South African Sign Language (SASL).
Learners from the various hearing schools demonstrated what they had learned in the program as they interacted with their deaf peers. They also taught attendees some of the basics of SASL, including greeting and spelling their names.Deshni Naidu from the department said the programme’s purpose is to create advocacy for the SASL and a link between people who are deaf or hard of hearing, and the hearing community.
“This programme allows learners to have a basic introduction to South African Sign Language, which will allow them to interact and engage with their hearing counterparts,” she explained.
Naidu said that in the future, they hope that hearing learners will want to study SASL further in higher education institutions and that they will consider becoming teachers in schools for the deaf or interpreters.
SA SIGN LANGUAGE YET TO BE STANDARDISED
The South African Sign Language was officially recognised as the 12th official language in September 2023. September also marks Deaf Awareness Month, which shines a light on the SASL.
Pan South African Language Board Gauteng manager Dr Sally Maepa said although they were making strides in promoting sign language, it needed to be professionalised and standardised.
Maepa said the SASL had many variants, and they did not want any members of the deaf community to question why their variant was not standardised.
“What we’re trying to do is formalise the language so that we can have a standard or a formal and professional vocabulary that can be used by interpreters, in the education sector and legally
“However, before we can do any of that, we need to develop dictionaries and literature of the South African Sign Language and as the time goes on, we will talk about standardisation,” she said.
DO YOU KNOW THE BASICS OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN SIGN LANGUAGE?