Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Communicating change: A deaf young leader's experience

Advocacy Writer John Silva with SDEAS attendees Dan Lester Perez and Michael Lopez
accompanied by Ms. Bea and Ms. Jamie as interpreters


Voltaire Tupaz

http://www.rappler.com/move-ph/3075-communicating-change-a-deaf-young-leader-s-experience

Posted on 03/28/2012 6:56 AM | Updated 03/28/2012 11:52 AM

MANILA, Philippines - Through a sign language interpreter, 20-year-old Dan Lester Perez listens intently to Rappler's multimedia journalist Patricia Evangelista as she speaks about giving voice to the voiceless through storytelling.

Perez, who is taking Applied Deaf Studies in De La Salle - College of Saint Benilde, is one of the dynamic and diverse 40 young leaders who participated in the 4-day seminar Communicating for Social Change that wrapped up on Tuesday, March 27.

The gathering was organized by the British Council, United Kingdom's international organization for educational opportunities and cultural relations, and Rappler, a social news network where stories inspire community engagement and digitally fuelled actions for social change.

Everyone has a story

Upon hearing about the workshop's call for participants, Perez immediately submitted his video application, itself a story of passion and determination.



(Young leader Dan Lester Perez submitted this video application to the British Council and Rappler for the seminar, 'Communicating for Social Change.')

Perez does not consider his hearing impairment as an impediment to telling the story of his community.

"I participated because of the theme. It really touched me to know that I can contribute to change. It could be instrumental in making our advocacy for the deaf community more effective."

Such is the kind of change-maker that the organizers were looking for: driven to effect change and achieve great things not only for themselves, but for their country and the world.

"Everyone has a story. It may not be important to others, but if it's important to you then it's still a good story to tell," Evangelista said in her speech to the select group of young leaders that included Perez.

Sharing insights on why storytelling is important and examples of what makes a good storyteller, Evangelista said, "For us, the trick is imagination. Not ours, yours."

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Friday, March 23, 2012

ANC gives the deaf a voice

(The Philippine Star) Updated March 21, 2012 12:00 AM

MANILA, Philippines - When the sign language interpreters of Chief Justice on Trial: the ANC Coverage first encountered the term “subpoena duces tecum” and other obscure legal terms, they had to text colleagues who were off-duty and scrabble for the nearest dictionary to find out their meaning and devise ways to interpret them.

Nine weeks into the legalese-heavy trial, the interpreters-instructors from De La Salle’s College of Saint Benilde School of Deaf Education and Applied Studies (CSB-SDEAS) and Philippine National Association of Sign Language Interpreters (PNASLI) still get on with their preparation practices before they sit on-air at 2 p.m. Mondays to Thursdays — bring a dictionary, consult with lawyers and the deaf community, and on their off days, meet and discuss difficult legal phrases and the best ways to “sign” them.

Two sign language interpreters take turn every 20 minutes on a single trial day in interpreting the argument among the prosecution and defense panels and the senator-judges live. Off-camera, a deaf coordinator, a hearing coordinator — and at times, a legal consultant — synergize to ensure legal technicalities are correctly interpreted.

From left: Deaf consultant Maria Rowena Rivera,
sign language interpreters Catherine Villareal and
John Baliza singing letters ANC

The initiative of ANC, the ABS-CBN News Channel, to fortify its uninterrupted coverage of the impeachment trial has spawned wider political participation by making information accessible to the deaf.

ANC has established itself as “the news channel” that delivers non-stop reportage of news events including the groundbreaking blow-by-blow coverage of the former Pres. Joseph “Erap” Estrada’s impeachment trial, a first on Philippine TV.

ANC managing director Ging Reyes expressed that the sign language initiative serves as another milestone for the news channel and recognizes that the deaf have a stake in the growth of the country.

Catherine Joy Villareal, an instructor at CSB-SDEAS and one of the interpreters, said the team has garnered significantly excellent reactions from the deaf community in provinces and even Filipinos abroad.

“We get to perform our roles, however little, in this historical event. Our goal is to serve the deaf community for them to be able to be aware of what’s happening and for them to have a voice. They participate in what’s happening through us and through ANC’s efforts,” she said.

ANC first incorporated sign language insets during the airing of President Benigno Aquino III’s 2010 and 2011 State of the Nation Addresses. Following positive feedback on the efforts, ANC once again tapped the CSB-SDEAS faculty to make sure the Filipino deaf community is not left out on the historic hearing.

The interpreting team also hopes to promote support for legislations that would require sign language insets in all newscasts and TV programs.

“The effort is significant in a sense that we’re making history not just for the deaf as a community but for the Philippines as a country. We’re slowly integrating the deaf into the society and opening opportunities to them,” said Oscar Sherlo Reyes, CSB-SDEAS’ coordinator for employment opportunities and one of the hearing coordinators in ANC’s coverage.

Aside from the CSB-SDEAS faculty and PNASLI, sign language interpreters from partner groups CAP College, Philippine Association of Interpreters for Deaf Empowerment and Manila Christian Computer Institute for the Deaf also volunteer for ANC’s impeachment trial coverage.