Karen Dianon, a PADS member, a relay deaf interpreter, and an FSL training officer, is teaching other PADS deaf and non-deaf members basic sign language conversational skills.
MANDAUE CITY, Philippines — The Philippine Accessible Disability Services Inc. (PADS) is offering a free Filipino Sign Language (FSL) class for individuals who are interested in learning FSL, in celebration of the National Deaf Awareness Week.
Karen Dianon, a PADS member, a relay deaf interpreter, and an FSL training officer, is teaching other PADS deaf, non-deaf members and other individuals who are interested to learn FSL and sign language conversational skills.
Dianon said it is important to know the Filipino Sign Language for proper communication between the deaf community and the hearing persons. She added that in the future it would create accessibility for the deaf society.
JP Maunes, the founder of the PADS Dragonboat Racing Team, said that it would be better if people would know FSL to help the deaf community.
Maunes hopes that with the free class, the advocacy of FSL would be spread and it would be recognized as an important language in the community to break the language barrier between the deaf community and hearing society.
The 2-hour class is held in a restaurant where 95 percent of the crews are persons with disabilities and PADS members.
They also have a leaflet with images and their corresponding meanings to teach customers sign language.
“Being deaf disconnects you with people. Dako kaayo ang obstacle when you are a deaf person surrounded by hearing persons in our society kay dili ka ka express sa imong kaugalingun or kung aduna man kay I express sa imong kaugalingun dili kasabot ang mga tawo. Through that issue alone, daghang abuses, they are always left out, dili sila ka access sa mga services sa government so makaingun ka nga being deaf in a society of hearing people dako kaayo siya og disadvantage because we as a hearing society could not recognize their language. We see them more as a disabled person, not as a person with a different language and different persona,” said Maunes.
Those interested can message the Facebook page of PADS. /rcg