Missing the Smile Behind the Masks
https://www.zaobao.com.sg/NEWS/FUKAN/OTHERS/STORY20200621-1062778
Mask wearing and safe distancing is the new norm against COVID-19. Deaf Individuals who depend on lip-reading are presented with an additional challenge in their daily lives. Our current media and information channels are also unable to effectively provide first-hand information to the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing community. Tan Wei Ling, born deaf, has the support of her family and colleagues. She appreciates the warm smile not hidden by the masks.
I asked on an online chat, “Hello! Do you prefer typing or speaking?”
Tan Wei Ling smiled and waved from the screen. She replied in Sign Language, “Either is fine!”
Tan Wei Ling, 30 years old, is born deaf. She wears hearing aids to enable her to hear sounds. Wei Ling cheerfully narrated, “In the beginning, my parents thought that I was stubborn and disobedient. But even after my mother found that I had hearing loss, when I was two, she still thought I was a stubborn daughter.”
Hearing loss did not prevent Wei Ling from leading an active life. She enjoys interacting with people from all walks of life and is determined to constantly challenge herself. Once during an overseas community involvement programme in Sri Lanka, she performed song-signing on stage. She said, “Being born deaf is not a label that I am ‘unable to do anything’. Just like the waves of an ocean, there are ups and downs in our lives that help us to grow. I may be Deaf but I am not disabled; as long as I am willing, I can still contribute to society.”
Tan Wei Ling works as a Lifeskills Coach. During the Circuit Breaker, she continued teaching her trainees with intellectual disability using online video conferencing software. However, online learning is different from classroom learning. It was difficult to supervise the trainees’ work or progress and she could only do so when they return to the centre. “During this period, work meetings have transited online. When the network is unstable, speech becomes unclear. But if other party could speak slower, I can lip-read to better figure what they are saying.
𝐔𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐢𝐩-𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐬
Though the hearing aid helps to pick up sounds, Wei Ling communicates with others through observing their mouth movement and facial expression, a practice she adopted from young. As masks are now mandatory, she is unable to read lips which have led to communication breakdowns. Nowadays, she would type down her food order and show it to the stall owner when ordering food. As she is not well-versed in Chinese, she would point on the menu or pictures when ordering from a Chinese-speaking stall owner. She lamented, “Sometimes stall owners don’t understand my order. But not waste the time of stall owner’s time, I would just agree to whatever they say. Once, I ordered Beehoon only to find out that it was Meepok when I reached home.”
Wei Ling believes that most stall owners are patient towards the deaf. However, there are exceptions. She recalls a negative experience where her friend was refused a coffee order when the order was placed using sign language. Her friend insisted on the order until the stall owner relented. If not for his or her persistence, he or she would not have been able to get the coffee. “Individuals with visual impairment and hearing loss do receive differential treatments.”
When asked if she had been mocked by a passer-by, Tan Wei Ling replied, “I don’t know, because I can’t hear them. Even when my friends inform me of the ugly comments made, I wouldn’t take them to heart. After all, I won’t meet the person again, why bother?”
There were times where Wei Ling felt lost while growing up. During her secondary school days, she felt inferior and disgruntled. When she advanced from Canossian School to St Anthony’s Canossian Secondary School, her class size increased from 10 to 40 students. There were more students and the pace of learning increased. The pressure to adapt to the new environment caused Wei Ling to compare herself with her hearing peers. She felt unfair that she was deaf.
She recalled, “I once blamed my mother for giving birth to me. Back then, I only knew English there while my mother only knew Chinese. The language barrier was a cause of frequent conflict and friction. Sometimes, we would end up ignoring each other for a few weeks”.
Wei Ling later picked up Chinese, while her mother started learning English. They started to understand each other better and embarked on a journey of lifelong learning.
Family is an important support pillar for Wei Ling. A memorable incident was when her brother spoke at his wedding last year. “When I was a kid, I prayed to God to let me take my sister’s place. That I would be deaf instead of her. Now, I realise that God is fair. My sister lost her hearing but she has a heart bigger than others. Wei Ling, your brother will forever love you and protect you.”
Tan Wei Ling said, “My brother backs me up and constantly encourages me. Now remembering his words I still feel touched.” Wei Ling’s brother had his own place after his marriage and would visit her family every Sunday. During the circuit breaker, family members from different households were restricted from visiting each other. Something was missing without the brother’s presence. On the other hand, working from home had allowed her to spend more time with her parents, “Before, I rarely have the opportunity to spend time with my parents like this.”
𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐟 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐂𝐎𝐕𝐈𝐃-𝟏𝟗 𝐮𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬
Wei Ling is an avid traveller who enjoys savouring local delicacies and sights. Her plans to travel to Dubai and Japan this year was cancelled due to the pandemic. She said, “Initially I was disappointed, but come to think of it, I see this as an opportunity to save for future travels when the pandemic has passed!” Since the COVID-19 situation, Tan Wei Ling gets first-hand updates from reading news articles and watching sign language videos posted on “Equal Dreams” Facebook page. Like many other deaf individuals, they agree that live broadcast of the government budget and updates by the Multi-Ministry Taskforce on COVID-19 are good, but this information remains inaccessible to the deaf.
She said, “Relevant agencies can consider including sign language interpretation or notetaking in order to increase the accessibility of these broadcasts. This will allow Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing individuals to be timely informed of the latest updates.
When the circuit breaker measures are lifted, Wei Ling will to her workplace. Mask wearing is necessary and her thoughtful colleagues are exploring to wear transparent masks to enable her to lip-read.
Wei Ling said, “What is miss most, is the uncovered smiles. I hope everyone can unite to overcome the challenge, and the world needs no longer be consumed by this pandemic.”
Translated by SADeaf Staff Joan Peh & Teo Zhi Xiong
Live National Speech: With Sign Language Interpretation & Notetaking
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong is scheduled to address the country at 4pm on June 23.
Live Sign Language interpretation & notetaking will be provided by SADeaf on: https://www.facebook.com/SADeafSG/
Notetaking-only feed (ie. text-only feed for deafblind, blind-deaf and others): https://tinyurl.com/pmlee23jun
Securing Singapore’s future in a post-COVID-19 world (With Sign Language Interpretation & Subtitles)
With the Fortitude Budget on 26 May 2020, the Singapore Government has committed almost $100 billion to support workers and businesses to fight against COVID-19. But the longer-term economic challenges remain formidable. COVID-19 has severely disrupted the global economy. Singapore must respond quickly to these global shifts and prepare for the difficult times ahead.
From 7 to 20 June 2020, PM Lee Hsien Loong, DPM Heng Swee Keat, SM Teo Chee Hean, SM Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Minister Chan Chun Sing and Minister Lawrence Wong will deliver a series of national broadcasts. They will explain what a post-COVID-19 future looks like for Singapore, and lay out plans to see us through the storm and emerge stronger.
If you have missed the broadcasts – Watch it here!
Overcoming the Crisis of a Generation
Speaker: Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong
Date of broadcast: 7 June 2020
Interpreted by: Zach
Living with COVID-19
Speaker: Minister for National Development and Second Minister for Finance Lawrence Wong
Interpreted by: Shimei
Date of broadcast: 9 June 2020
Resilience in a Changing External Environment
Speaker: Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security Teo Chee Hean
Interpreted by: Zach
Date of broadcast: 11 June 2020
Making a Living in a COVID-19 World
Speaker: Minister for Trade and Industry Chan Chun Sing
Interpreted by: Zach
Date of broadcast: 14 June 2020
A Stronger and More Cohesive Society
Speaker: Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for Social Policies Tharman Shanmugaratnam
Interpreted by: Amirah
Date of broadcast: 17 June 2020
Emerging Stronger Together
Speaker: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Heng Swee Keat
Interpreted by: Amirah
Date of broadcast: 20 June 2020
SADeaf Fundraising Virtual Challenge
SADeaf Virtual Challenge
The SADeaf Fundraising Virtual Challenge is an online fundraising event that aims to encourage individuals to stay fit and healthy during the COVID-19 period. This event is jointly organised by The Singapore Association for the Deaf and Inaudible Moments – a group of students under the Citibank-YMCA Youth For Causes Project.
You can participate in the 30-day SADeaf Virtual Challange from any location, any time during the open event date. Track your exercise regime by using the Keep app continuously for 30 days, at the comfort of your home and time. No more waiting in lines at the gym, just grab your friends, family and start your fitness journey!
Let’s stay healthy and support SADeaf by helping us raise funds for Deaf, Hard-of-Hearing and Deaf-blind community during this difficult time!
Step 1: Join us!
Register: Individual Adult (Early Bird – Minimum donation of $20)
Early Bird Rate will be applicable till 31 July 2020, 23:59 hrs, Singapore Time. For registrations received thereafter, a minimum donation of $25/pax is required. In order to benefit from the Early Bird Rate, the donation must be received on or before 31 July 2020.
Register: Individual Student (Early Bird – Minimum donation of $10)
Discounted student rates are valid to students currently enrolled in Primary, Secondary, Tertiary and Vocational education. Proof of student status is not required. However, we reserve the right to refuse and cancel your registration if you do not produce documentary proof or if you do not meet the criteria for ‘student’ status when requested.
Early Bird Rate will be applicable till 31 July 2020, 23:59 hrs Singapore Time. For registrations received thereafter, a minimum donation of $15/pax will apply. In order to qualify for this rate, payment must be received on or before 31 July 2020.
Step 2: Make a Donation
Upon completion of your online registration, a donation link will be sent to the email address provided on the registration form.
Please ensure that the email account used for the donation account and online registration is the same. Registrations are only confirmed once the minimum donation has been received and when the online registration and donation email is matched. All donations referred to are in Singapore Dollar. All donations are non-refundable
Step 3: Let’s go!
Download: Play Store | Apps Store
Download Keep and start the 30-day journey! Go to ‘Workouts’ and select a workout that suits your physical condition and follow the daily targets.
Participants can use workout videos from application Keep as a guideline and record their workout history in the website accounts to calculate the number of calories burnt.
Keep K1 & K2 (beginners and people who sometimes exercise)
i) at least 15 minutes/day
ii) at least 30 minutes/day
K3 & K4 (people who do exercise on a regular basis or experts)
i) at least 20 mins/day
ii) at least 40 minutes/day
Step 4: Keep it up & share with us!
Create an account with us here and post your workouts. You can do it on a daily, weekly, or at the end of the 30 day challenge. Participants who wish to further challenge themselves after 30-days may do so by re-posting your workout results in the members area.
You can also share your workout achievements with us by posting them on Instagram with #imkeepingfit to encourage one another along the way!
Step 5: Time to Celebrate!
Get your rewards:
-a gut shredded
-a heart fulfilled
-a prize especially for you
Upon verification of the 30-day challenge, participants will receive a special WhatsApp sticker pad and/or a Facebook frame concerning profile picture upon completion of the challenge. The design will be done by Inaudible Moments.
Other prizes to be advised.
Accessibility Needs for a Deaf-Friendly Show
For the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing community, the theatre experience is not the same as it is for hearing audience. Theatre companies can improve and make their performances accessible to Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing audiences by following these guidelines.
1) Engagement of Trained Sign Language interpreters
The engagement of Sign Language interpreters should be made during the production process so that interpreters can be included in some rehearsals. The number of interpreters to be deployed depends on the intensity of the show. Two to three trained and well-rehearsed interpreters are recommended to allow turn-taking to reduce mental and physical fatigue and thereby maintaining accuracy in interpretation.
2) Placement of Sign Language interpreters
Placement of interpreters come in various styles. The most common one is as pictured in illustration A. This is a conventional style that places interpreters on the far stage-right or far stage-left and could also be on a raised platform. Sufficient space should be provided for interpreters to work comfortably without being worried over space constraints that could raise unnecessary concerns such as fear of falling or accidentally bumping into co-interpreters. It is recommended that these accommodations are considered during the production process.
3) Good Lighting on Interpreters
Lighting on the interpreters should neither be too glaring nor too dim.
Ensure that when signing, there are no harsh and distracting hand shadows cast onto the body of the interpreters. Lights should preferably be of cool beam to enable interpreters to work in comfortable conditions.
Ensure that lights do not go off completely while interpreters are signing.
The Sign Language interpretation provided should include all house announcements and any dialogues prior to and after the show.
4) Full Closed Captions
Captions provided on wall-mounted screens at the sides of the stage or at an easy-to-read location, should include:
- house announcements,
- (background sounds instrumental to the plot of the show in brackets) and
- ♪ lyrics to songs ♪.
Ensure that full closed captions are readable from the seating areas reserved for the Deaf or Hard-of-hearing patrons.
5) Provision of Hearing / Induction Loop System
It is recommended to install Hearing / Induction loop systems on-premises. The system transmits an audio signal directly to patrons with hearing aids, which reduces distortion and background noises and thus, increases clarity of sound within the covered area. The availability of such a system would provide patrons with hearing aids the choice to toggle their hearing aids, enabling direct streaming of sounds into their ears throughout the show.
6) Deaf-friendly Staff
Staff members, especially frontline staff such as front-of-house or ushers should ideally be trained in Deaf Culture and know how to attend to the Deaf or Hard-of-hearing patrons using different modes of communication. Ideally, they should be able to converse directly with Deaf or Hard-of-hearing patrons in Sign Language.
* Do explore hiring of a Deaf or Hard-of-hearing staff member for this!
7) Arranging a Good Seating Position for Deaf Audience
Well-meaning show organisers might mistakenly reserve seats too close to the interpreters for Deaf or Hard-of Hearing patrons, ending up with the interpreters blocking our view of the actors and actresses. It would also result in a lot of back-and-forth eye movement for us. When attending a show, we do not look at only the interpreters. We also need a good view of your actual show and the captions you provide! We also prefer not to have any visual interferences caused by matters such as people frequently walking in the area between us and the interpreters as this would hinder our view of the sign language interpretation for us to thoroughly understand and enjoy the show.
If Deaf or Hard-of Hearing patrons are seated too far from the stage, we will neither be able to read the sign language interpretation nor appreciate the details of the show. The Deaf or Hard-of-hearing patrons who are literate in the language of your captions also need to be seated at a distance where captions are readable.
8) Engaging Deaf Talents. They come in many forms
Deaf or Hard-of-hearing talents can be engaged for your show or in your company directly in many ways. You can engage Deaf or Hard-of-hearing talents as Crew members, Show consultants, Ushers, Actor/Actress (minor or major roles), Costume and set designers, Make-up artists, Playwrights, Dancers, Musicians, Illustrators, Graphic designers, Signers in publicity and promotional videos, and so on. The possibilities are limitless!
Illustrations by: Chen Zi Yue, Angeline, Year 2020.
Commissioned by The Singapore Association for the Deaf.
Copyrights owned by The Singapore Association for the Deaf (2020).
Heroes Unmasked: Volunteers sew see-through masks for teachers of deaf students
The Singapore Association for the Deaf (SADeaf) would like to thank all the volunteers who had responded to the call by SG Enable by producing masks to schools for teachers and staff members working with the Deaf community. A big ‘Thank You’ for spreading kindness and compassion during this difficult period.
Read more here
Facebook Live Chat with Minister Grace Fu
Join Minister for Culture, Community and Youth, Grace Fu and SportsSG at a Facebook live chat today on 30 May at 8pm to discuss how the government can better support the sports sector amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Find out how the recent injection of $10 million, announced during the recent Fortitude Budget on 26 May, can help boost the sports sector.
SADeaf will be providing live sign language interpretation and notetaking for the live chat.
SADeaf Terp Sign Language Interpretation: https://www.facebook.com/livebetterthroughsport
SADeaf Notetaking Notetaking-only feed (ie. text-only feed for deafblind, blind-deaf and others) will be on a separate document here: https://tinyurl.com/30May8pm
Limited re-opening of SADeaf Office
With Singapore entering Phase 2 from 19 June 2020, SADeaf will continue our limited re-opening operations. In line with government guidelines, this will remain the same as in Phase 1.
SADeaf will be using SafeEntry for all visitors. At the entrance of our premises, you can either use your handphone to scan the SafeEntry QR code, or use your NRIC to be scanned by our staff.
The following services will be available in-person via appointment.
* Community Services (CS): Please text or call Zhi Hao at 9437 9565, or Kelvin at 9844 7919, or email cs_enquiry@sadeaf.org.sg.
* Hearing Care Centre (HCC): Please contact Siu Fai at 9843 5738 or email hcc@sadeaf.org.sg.
All our staff’s working days and hours are Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 5.30pm daily. All our other services will continue to be available online and via televideoing, teleconferencing and other means.
* For Itinerant Support Service (ISS), please contact Kala at 9795 6285, or Halim at 8481 6296, or email iss_enquiry@sadeaf.org.sg.
* For Deaf Access Service (DAS), interpretation and notetaking will be done remotely (except for cases which require the interpreter to be present). Clients must have Skype or WhatsApp installed on their phones and laptops. In all cases, we reserve the right to decline assignments which impact the health and well-being of clients and service providers.
For interpretation service, please email: terp-service@sadeaf.org.sg.
For notetaking service, please email: notetaking-service@sadeaf.org.sg.
* For donation, media and volunteering queries, please email ca@sadeaf.org.sg.
* For general queries and frequently asked questions, please go to: https://sadeaf.org.sg/contact-us/
You can also reach us through:
Email: info@sadeaf.org.sg (We will reply to emails within three working days.)
Skype ID for video call and messaging: hotline_442 (Available during working hours)
Whatsapp: 9226 7621 (Available during working hours)
* For updates, please go to:
Facebook: facebook.com/SADeafSG/
Website: http://sadeaf.org.sg
Thank you for your understanding and continued support. Stay safe!
– From all of us at SADeaf
Online Peer Tutoring
In collaboration with SADeaf, Project Hear Me Out – led by a group of students from Hwa Chong Institute, will be providing free online peer tutoring for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing students from Primary 3 to Primary 6.
Please sign up here: http://tinyurl.com/peer-tutoring
The Fortitude Budget
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Heng Swee Keat will unveil the Fortitude Budget on 26 May at 3.30pm.
Mr Heng will speak about the Government’s plans to help businesses and individuals “adapt and build resilience, in our continuing fight against the COVID-19 pandemic”.
SADeaf will be providing live sign language interpretation and notetaking for the ministerial statement.
Sign language interpretation will be on ‘𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲’ broadcast on MediaCorp Channel 5.
Notetaking will be available on SADeaf Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/SADeafSG/.
Notetaking-only feed (ie. text-only feed for deafblind, blind-deaf and others): https://tinyurl.com/FortitudeBudget