Fanie Dreams

Wanneer behoort gepaard gaan met voorwaardes: My reis met gehoorverlies in Suid-Afrika

Daar bestaan 'n algemene aanname dat almal wat gehoorverlies ervaar dieselfde identiteit, dieselfde kommunikasievoorkeure en dieselfde lewensaspirasies deel. My eie ervaring het my geleer dat dit eenvoudig nie waar is nie.

Ek het later in my lewe doof geword. Soos baie ander mense in dieselfde situasie, het ek gekies om my lewe te herbou deur middel van gesproke taal, spraaklees, gehoortegnologie, ouditiewe rehabilitasie en later bilaterale kogleêre inplantings. Dit was nie 'n verwerping van Suid-Afrikaanse Gebaretaal (SAGT) of die Dowe kultuur nie. Dit was bloot die pad wat die beste vir my en my gesin gewerk het.

Wat ek nie verwag het nie, was dat my keuse 'n prys sou hê. Daardie prys was om te behoort.

Gedurende die vroeë jare van my reis het ek houdings by sommige lede van die Dowe gemeenskap ervaar wat my laat voel het dat ek voor 'n onmoontlike keuse staan: óf leer Suid-Afrikaanse Gebaretaal, identifiseer met die Dowe kultuur, óf aanvaar dat jy moontlik nooit werklik welkom sal wees nie.

Vir iemand wat reeds die verlies van sy gehoor betreur het, was dit verwoestend.

Die horende wêreld het grootliks ontoeganklik gebly omdat kommunikasieversperrings oral bestaan het. Tog het die gemeenskap waarvan ek gehoop het begrip sou hê vir my reis, soms my kommunikasiekeuses met wantroue eerder as aanvaarding bejeën.

My gesin het ook daarna verlang om aanvaar te word. Tog het hulle soms die indruk gekry dat hul vader se verbintenis tot Totale Kommunikasie, spraakaflees, kogleêre inplantings en lipsprekers op een of ander manier as 'n "verraad" beskou is. Sommige het geglo dat hierdie keuses die posisie van Suid-Afrikaanse Gebaretaal sou verswak of die rol van gebaretaaltolke sou bedreig.

Dit was veral pynlik gedurende die jare toe die Dowe gemeenskap tereg geveg het vir die erkenning van Suid-Afrikaanse Gebaretaal as 'n amptelike taal. Ek het daardie stryd ten volle gerespekteer. Ek was nooit gekant teen die erkenning van SAGT nie. Elke taal- en kultuurgemeenskap verdien waardigheid, respek en erkenning.

My voorspraak was nooit teen gebaretaal nie. Dit was nog altyd oor keuse.

Ek het destyds geglo, en ek glo vandag steeds, dat elke persoon wat gehoorverlies ervaar die reg behoort te hê om die kommunikasiewyse te kies wat die beste aan sy of haar behoeftes voldoen—of dit nou Suid-Afrikaanse Gebaretaal, gesproke taal, Totale Kommunikasie, kogleêre inplantings, gehoorapparate, spraakaflees, onderskrifte, lipsprekers, ondersteunende luistertegnologie of 'n kombinasie van hierdie benaderings is.

In 2011, toe ek bilaterale kogleêre inplantings ontvang het, het die kritiek selfs meer persoonlik geword. As openbare kampvegter is ek deur sommige openlik as 'n "vyand" van die Dowe gemeenskap bestempel. Dit het diep seer gemaak omdat ek nog nooit veldtog 'n gevoer het teen Dowe mense of teen gebaretaal nie. My enigste boodskap was dat daar diversiteit binne gehoorverlies bestaan en dat elke individu respek vir sy of haar eie kommunikasiekeuses verdien.

My ervaring doen geen afbreuk aan die geleefde ervarings van Dowe Suid-Afrikaners nie. Net so doen hul ervarings geen afbreuk aan myne nie. Gehoorverlies is uiteenlopend, en 'n inklusiewe samelewing behoort ruim genoeg te wees om ons almal te omarm.

Ongelukkig beïnvloed hierdie gebrek aan erkenning steeds toeganklikheid in Suid-Afrika.
Suid-Afrika het beduidende vooruitgang gemaak met die erkenning van Suid-Afrikaanse Gebaretaal.

Tog fokus beleid en praktyke rakende toeganklikheid dikwels steeds hoofsaaklik op SAGT-tolkdienste, ondanks die breër beginsel van redelike akkommodasie soos vervat in die Verenigde Nasies se Konvensie oor die Regte van Persone met Gestremdhede en Suid-Afrika se Witskrif oor die Regte van Persone met Gestremdhede.

Volgens die World Report on Hearing ervaar ongeveer 12 miljoen Suid-Afrikaners een of ander graad van gehoorverlies, waarvan die meerderheid nie primêr deur middel van gebaretaal kommunikeer nie.

Hoewel Suid-Afrikaanse Gebaretaaltolke noodsaaklik is vir baie Dowe Suid-Afrikaners, is dit nie die enigste vorm van redelike akkommodasie wat benodig word nie.

Miljoene Suid-Afrikaners maak staat op onderskrifte, spraak-na-teks-dienste, induksielusse, ondersteunende luisterstelsels, lipsprekers, duidelike spraak, gehoortegnologie en ander vorme van kommunikasieondersteuning.

Tog bly baie van hierdie akkommodasies grootliks afwesig.

'n Eenvoudige voorbeeld hiervan is televisie. Baie nuusuitsendings sluit Suid-Afrikaanse Gebaretaaltolke in, maar voorsien steeds nie akkurate regstreekse byskrifte nie. Dit sluit miljoene Suid-Afrikaners onbedoeld uit wat op geskrewe teks eerder as gebaretaal staatmaak om belangrike inligting te ontvang.

Toeganklikheid behoort nooit 'n kompetisie tussen kommunikasiewyses te wees nie.

Die Verenigde Nasies se Konvensie oor die Regte van Persone met Gestremdhede erken die diversiteit van persone met gestremdhede en die belangrikheid daarvan om individuele keuses te respekteer. Billikheid beteken om verskillende behoeftes te erken, nie om te aanvaar dat een oplossing vir almal geskik is nie.

Niemand behoort ooit gedwing te word om tussen behoort en effektiewe kommunikasie te kies nie.

Ek deel hierdie verhaal nie om ou wonde oop te krap nie, maar omdat ek glo genesing begin wanneer mense na mekaar luister.

My hoop is dat Suid-Afrika ideologiese verdeeldheid sal oorkom en 'n breër begrip van inklusiwiteit sal omarm—een wat die Dowe kultuur respekteer, terwyl dit terselfdertyd die geldige ervarings erken van mense wat doof is, hardhorend is, gehoorgestremd is, gebruikers van kogleêre inplantings, gebruikers van gehoorapparate, orale kommunikeerders en gebruikers van Suid-Afrikaanse Gebaretaal.
Ware inklusiwiteit vra nie dat mense moet konformeer nie.

Dit respekteer diversiteit. En miskien, as een persoon die moed het om sy of haar verhaal met eerlikheid en deernis te vertel, sal ander wat dieselfde pyn stilweg gedra het, besef dat hulle nie alleen is nie.

Fanie du Toit
Praktisyn in Volwasse Basiese Onderwys (UNISA)

Fanie Dreams Movement
Droom van 'n inklusiewe wêreld waar almal behoort.
www.faniedreams.co.za⁠�
[email protected]
https://youtu.be/8M_cUjAKNd4?si=xS-yppWNkQT1ZxbR⁠�

National Council of and for Persons with Disabilities
Western Cape Network on Disability
Hear2day
Hearing Loss Live
HearUs - A South African Cochlear Implant Association
Each Ear LLC

When belonging comes with conditions: My journey with hearing loss in South Africa.

There is a common assumption that all people who experience hearing loss share the same identity, the same communication preferences, and the same aspirations. My experience has taught me that this is simply not true.

I became deaf later in life. Like many others in my situation, I chose to rebuild my life through spoken language, speechreading, hearing technology, aural rehabilitation, and later bilateral cochlear implants. It was not a rejection of South African Sign Language (SASL) or Deaf culture. It was simply the path that best suited me and my family.

What I did not expect was that my choice would come at the cost of belonging.

During my early journey, I encountered attitudes from some members of the Deaf community that left me feeling I had to make an impossible choice: either learn South African Sign Language, identify with Deaf culture, or accept that I might never truly be welcomed.

For someone already grieving the loss of hearing, this was devastating.

The hearing world remained largely inaccessible because communication barriers were everywhere. Yet the community I hoped would understand my journey sometimes viewed my communication choices with suspicion rather than acceptance.

My family also longed to be accepted. Instead, they sometimes experienced the perception that their father's commitment to Total Communication, speechreading, cochlear implants, and lipspeakers somehow represented a "betrayal." Some believed that these choices weakened the position of South African Sign Language or threatened the role of sign language interpreters.

This was especially painful during the years when the Deaf community was rightly advocating for the recognition of South African Sign Language as an official language. I fully respected that struggle. I never opposed the recognition of SASL. Every linguistic and cultural community deserves dignity, respect, and recognition.

My advocacy was never against sign language. It has always been about choice.

I believed then, and I still believe today, that every person who experiences hearing loss should have the right to choose the communication methods that best meet their own needs—whether that is South African Sign Language, spoken language, Total Communication, cochlear implants, hearing aids, speechreading, captions, lipspeakers, assistive listening technology, or a combination of these approaches.

In 2011, when I received bilateral cochlear implants, the criticism became even more personal. As a public advocate, I was openly labelled by some as an "enemy" of the Deaf community. That was deeply hurtful because I had never campaigned against Deaf people or against sign language. My only message was that diversity exists within hearing loss and that every individual deserves respect for their own choices.

My experience does not diminish the lived experiences of Deaf South Africans. Nor do their experiences diminish mine. Hearing loss is diverse, and an inclusive society should be broad enough to embrace us all.

Sadly, this lack of recognition continues to influence accessibility in South Africa today.
South Africa has made significant progress in recognising South African Sign Language.

However, accessibility policies and practices often continue to focus predominantly on SASL interpreting, despite the broader concept of reasonable accommodation contained in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and South Africa's White Paper on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

According to the World Report on Hearing, approximately 12 million South Africans experience some degree of hearing loss, the majority of whom do not primarily communicate through sign language.

While South African Sign Language interpreters are essential for many Deaf South Africans, they are not the only accommodation required.
Millions of South Africans rely on captions, speech-to-text services, hearing loops, assistive listening systems, lipspeakers, clear speech, hearing technology, and other forms of communication support.

Yet many of these accommodations remain largely unavailable.

A simple example can be seen on television. Many news bulletins include South African Sign Language interpreters but still do not provide accurate real-time captions. This unintentionally excludes millions of South Africans who depend on written text rather than sign language to access important information.

Accessibility should never become a competition between communication methods.

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities recognises the diversity of persons with disabilities and the importance of respecting individual choices. Equity means recognising different needs, not assuming that one accommodation fits everyone.

No one should ever be forced to choose between belonging and communicating in the way that works best for them.

I share this story not to reopen old wounds, but because I believe healing begins when people listen to one another.

My hope is that South Africa can move beyond ideological divisions and embrace a broader understanding of inclusion—one that respects Deaf culture while equally recognising the legitimate experiences of people who are deaf, hard of hearing, hearing impaired, cochlear implant users, hearing aid users, oral communicators, and those who use South African Sign Language.

True inclusion does not ask people to conform.
It respects diversity. And perhaps, if one person has the courage to tell their story with honesty and compassion, others who have silently carried the same pain will realise that they are not alone.

Fanie du Toit
Adult Basic Education Practitioner (UNISA)
Fanie Dreams Movement
Dreaming of an inclusive world where everyone belongs.
www.faniedreams.co.za⁠�
[email protected]

https://youtu.be/8M_cUjAKNd4?si=xS-yppWNkQT1ZxbR⁠�

National Council of and for Persons with Disabilities
Western Cape Network on Disability
Hear2day
Hearing Loss Live
HearUs - A South African Cochlear Implant Association
Each Ear LLC

Equity is measured by who is included when decisions are made.

We cannot honestly claim to practise equity while overlooking persons who have invisible impairments.

Too often, accessibility is reduced to physical access—a ramp, an accessible parking bay, or an adapted toilet. While these are essential, they represent only one part of what accessibility truly means.

Accessibility also means equal access to:

- The physical environment
- Information and communication
- Programmes and services
- Employment and education
- Public participation
- Leadership and decision-making

A person who can enter a building but cannot access the information being shared is not included.

A person who attends a meeting but cannot follow the discussion because communication is inaccessible is not included.

A person whose neurological, sensory, psychosocial, intellectual, or communication impairment is ignored has not been given an equal opportunity to participate.

Accessibility without meaningful participation is not equity.

Invisible impairments are often misunderstood because they cannot always be seen. Yet the barriers experienced by these individuals are real. Communication barriers, sensory barriers, cognitive barriers, and attitudinal barriers exclude millions of people every day.

The true measure of an inclusive society is not how well it accommodates the most visible disabilities, but how intentionally it includes those whose barriers are often overlooked.

Nothing about us should ever be decided without us.

If we want equitable communities, workplaces, schools, and public services, we must ensure that every voice is heard—not only those that are easiest to recognise.

When we embrace the diversity of impairment and associated disability, we move beyond compliance. We build communities where dignity is respected, reasonable accommodation is provided, and every person has the opportunity to contribute, belong, and thrive.

Because equity is not about giving everyone the same thing. It is about ensuring everyone has an equal opportunity to participate.

For peer support, contact:
Fanie Dreams

[email protected]
www.faniedreams.co.za

This beautiful poem reminds us that hearing loss affects more than one person—it touches an entire family. www.faniedreams.co.za
✉️ [email protected]
https://youtu.be/xkPks2En7cM?si=WfdHSf8xY-1GE99x