In South Africa, an estimated four million people are deaf.
With the introduction of South African Sign Language (SASL) as one of 12 official languages -much is still misunderstood about the challenges of deaf people.
ALSO READ: Signed and sealed: South Africa adds 12th official language
June Bothma, a sign language teacher based in the Southern Suburbs, understands firsthand these challenges. And through her upcoming free talk on SASL, she hopes to educate anyone interested in learning more about the language.
“I come from a deaf family and married a deaf husband who comes from a deaf family, too. My parents went to a deaf school and learned Sign language at a time when people didn’t understand deaf people’s needs. When I attended a deaf school, they didn’t allow me to use Sign language, but I eventually learned the language from my parents,” says Bothman.
“Growing up, I wanted to become a teacher as it was my passion, but I wouldn’t get accepted anywhere as I was told deaf people could not be teachers as they would be unable to hear what the children were saying and help them with their speech.”
This was disappointing for Bothma, who also wanted to become a psychologist.
Having been denied again, she decided to learn pattern designing which she was also denied due to her deafness.
“Tygerberg College accepted me, but it was very difficult to study there because at that time there was no interpreter and it was mostly in Afrikaans. I broke down many times and I went through a very difficult time. By a miracle, I passed. I worked in the clothing industry as a pattern designer and was promoted to pattern technologist, then design room manager.
“I loved my job but it was not my passion,” she says.
A chance meeting with a spiritual leader would be the catalyst for her dream becoming a reality around 31 years ago.
“In 1992, I started looking around at different churches to find one that would accommodate me as a deaf person. At Christ Church in Kenilworth, I met Duncan McLea, the priest, who was fascinated by Sign language. He welcomed me and told me to show him how to accommodate the deaf and teach the people Sign language. I taught them Sign language and we had some interpreters at church. That was when my passion started bubbling from 1992 to now,” she says.
“Over the years, I’ve taught Sign language to many people and even got the opportunity to teach audiology and speech therapy students at the University of Cape Town (UCT), after one of my private class attendees saw how I taught and recommended me to UCT.”
In his address around SASL becoming a 12th official language, President Cyril Ramaphosa acknowledged more work needed to be done to ensure inclusivity for the deaf.
Education is part of the solution.
“My dream of being a teacher is to connect and build bridges between the hearing and deaf communities, especially for deaf children and their families. It is because I saw many struggles between them when I was growing up.
“I’ve been reaching out to schools and places about SASL and got some positive responses, especially since it became the 12th official language,” says Bothma.
“I’m proud to be deaf and excited about the new journey and adventures ahead for the deaf community. I believe this is just the beginning of a promising future for us.”
Just like English, Xhosa and Afrikaans, SASL is also unique.
“SASL is not a universal language as many countries have their own sign language and most of them have different dialects. Learning spoken foreign languages like French, German, Spanish, etc., can be challenging due to their various dialects, but with sign language, most signs are visually recognisable. For example, the sign for ‘cat’ may be expressed differently, but we still recognise it as ‘cat’,” says Bothma.
“Similar to spoken languages, Sign language variations exist and each one is unique. SASL relies more on facial expressions, which serve as our ‘tone’. While there may be similarities between different sign languages, they are not all the same,” she says.
People using SASL are also not signing in English or any other spoken language for that matter.
“This does not happen because SASL has its own grammatical rules, syntax and word order. For instance, the English sentence “I am helping you” is expressed in SASL as ‘ME-HELP-YOU’ in one movement, conveying the message that I am helping you, without using the full English sentence. When you watch a SASL interpreter, you might think they’re signing very fast, but they are following SASL grammar,” she says.
As a deaf person, information is a big challenge.
“It has been challenging to find the right information I need or to be up to date with the latest things because most information is shared on the radio or television and between people verbally. We miss out a lot. Sometimes I need to contact people or service providers but they don’t have email or WhatsApp, so I have to find people willing enough to make phone calls for me. Sometimes I have to ask a few times as the line is engaged,” says Bothma.
This was exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic.
“I must say that the Covid-19 time was particularly challenging for me as everyone had to wear masks. I struggled to understand people or communicate myself as I need to see the face clearly to lipread and see facial expressions. We tried to use the see-through masks, but in many places, security would tell me they are not allowed,” she says.
“I cannot hear the sounds of spoken words or the tone of voice, which makes it challenging to understand what someone is saying or how they are feeling. So, I try to lipread by watching the movements of their lips, but it’s not easy since many spoken words have similar mouth movements. Just like different handwriting styles, everyone has unique mouth shapes and movements. Some people are easier to lipread, while others are more difficult to understand. Concentrating on every word by lipreading can be exhausting for me. On average, I can only pick up about 30% of what is said verbally and the rest often involves guesswork, leading to potential misunderstandings. Thankfully, sign languages provide a visual and more relaxing way to understand what’s being communicated.”
Bothma says there are still many myths surrounding the language, including that it is just gestures and not a real language.
“SASL is a real language with its own sentence structure and grammar rules. It involves specific facial expressions, body movements, and handshapes to effectively communicate. In the past, some people mistakenly believed that it was merely a form of gesturing similar to monkeys, but in reality, we engage in genuine conversations using SASL. I remember an incident where my mom and I were having a sign language conversation and someone approached me, curious about what we were discussing as they thought we didn’t have normal conversations.
“SASL is not exclusive to the deaf; it is an integral part of the deaf culture within the deaf community,” she says.
Another myth is that all deaf people can sign.
“Not all Deaf individuals can sign due to various reasons. Some attend oral schools where Sign language is not allowed and some become deaf at a later age. Additionally, some parents may choose not to let their deaf children learn to Sign language out of concern that they might not learn to lipread or speak,” she says.
“SASL is not solely used by the deaf; it is not a requirement for all deaf individuals to know sign language. Some deaf or hard-of-hearing individuals wear hearing aids or cochlear implants or can lipread, yet they can still use SASL. Moreover, hearing individuals like interpreters or children of deaf adults (Codas) also use SASL. I taught my son to sign before he started talking, and learning SASL has been a fun and enriching experience.”
Bothma also encourages locals to use the correct terminology when referring to the deaf community.
“Deaf people are being called ‘Deaf and Dumb’, ‘deaf and mute’ and ‘hearing impaired’. We are proud to be deaf. We are deaf, unable to hear, and we are not dumb – (meaning ‘temporarily unable or unwilling to speak’ and ‘mute, silent’. I am a happy deaf person, and I cannot imagine labelling myself as ‘deaf and mute’ and ‘hearing-impaired. This is not who I am,” she says.
Some deaf people are not fully literate, unable or having trouble to write or read full English, using correct grammar, says Bothma.
“That can lead to some misunderstandings. SASL makes a big difference to reduce many misunderstandings or avoiding any guesswork. About only 10% of deaf people have deaf parents who know how to sign. The rest are the only deaf person in the family and many are often left out of the conversations and participation in daily life.”
Bothma will host a free talk for anyone interested in learning more about SASL. It will be held on Saturday 5 August from 10:00 to noon at Callow House, 3a Richmond Road, Kenilworth.
- For more information, or to book a place, contact June Bothma (who is deaf) via WhatsApp, 083 448 1837, or email signlanguagebyjune@gmail.com
