By Gibron Rahim
IGNORANCE is bliss, or so the saying goes. Human beings, by their nature, seek comfort. While this tendency is by no means negative in itself, it can lead to willful ignorance of the challenges faced by those around us.

Yet, those problems do not go away simply because they are ignored. Moreover, willful ignorance takes away all possibility of fixing solvable issues. This may be one of the takeaways from the recently-concluded Human Rights Film Festival. Among the films featured at the festival was the short documentary ‘Silent Voices’ which highlighted some of the issues faced by Guyana’s Deaf community.

The Human Rights Film Festival, a collaboration between the Guyana Equality Forum (GEF) and the Brazilian Embassy in Georgetown, ran from September 28 to October 4. The rights of the LGBT community, Indigenous peoples, children, persons with disabilities and women were each addressed through Brazilian and Guyanese films on each of the festival’s nights. October 3 was the night dedicated to films about persons with disabilities and marked the premiere of Silent Voices.

The documentary was created specifically for the Human Rights Film Festival. President of the Deaf Association of Guyana (DAG), Sabine McIntosh, explained to the Pepperpot Magazine that DAG, as a member of the GEF, was invited to submit a film to the festival. “Well, we had no film,” she said. “So we made one.”

Submission to the film festival was only one of the reasons for the documentary’s creation, however. Noting that the word ‘deaf’ is written with a capital letter D when referring to the Deaf community and a common one when referring to deafness as a medical condition, McIntosh said, “Deaf expression is visual expression.” She explained that, given this fact, film is a wonderful medium for Deaf expression. The DAG had wanted to try filmmaking for a long time. Unfortunately for the NGO, a previous grant application to UNESCO was unsuccessful.

The documentary was financed solely by funds from DAG’s previous fundraising activities as McIntosh revealed that, while potential sponsors had been invited to a preview of the film, there had been no tangible response. This severely limited the scope of the filming and editing of Silent Voices. Nevertheless, they persevered with filming taking two to three months and editing a further three days. Creating `Silent Voices’ allowed Deaf youths the opportunity to share some of their experiences in navigating “a hearing and oftentimes unsupportive environment.”

The documentary started off with a 12-member team, though not all the team members remained until the end of filming. Filming itself was done by two Deaf and one hearing member of DAG while a single member edited. With the exception of the hearing member who edited, none of the cast and crew had any previous experience in filmmaking. “It had been our vision to use this opportunity to have some of the Deaf youth being trained in film production/editing,” McIntosh said. This vision never materialised due to the lack of sponsorship. She expressed confidence though that it will happen in due time. Having skilled filmmakers in DAG, she explained, would allow them to not only produce more films but also visual learning material for deaf students.

`Silent Voices’ addresses issues pertinent to Guyana’s Deaf community. In one segment, a deaf mother explained the difficulty she and others in the community face when seeking medical attention. The lack of knowledge of sign language amongst health care providers means that members of the Deaf community have to wait until someone is available to accompany them to explain or translate on their behalf. One young man told the camera that he eventually had to leave school because of the difficulties he faced in accessing the learning being provided to his hearing peers.

Securing employment was also another key issue addressed by `Silent Voices’. And toward the documentary’s end, a team member interviewed two officers of the Guyana Police Force concerning their views about the Deaf being allowed to drive. The issue has been one DAG has been trying to have addressed.

McIntosh told the Pepperpot Magazine that the point she hopes the general public realises after viewing Silent Voices is that we have a shared responsibility of making this life a better one for everyone. The film is also for the Deaf, both those involved in its production (and future productions) and those viewing it. With regard to both these groups, she said, “We anticipate that it will promote reflection and awareness of their rights and responsibilities as members of the Deaf community.”

There are also actions that the public can take, other than looking at `Silent Voices’. First and foremost, they must “give respect where respect is due.” It is also important, McIntosh said, to strive towards ‘Full Inclusion through Sign Language’ the motto of this year’s Deaf Awareness Week, which is observed annually during the last week of September. This includes service providers realising their responsibility to make their services available to the Deaf through sign language. She indicated that she was referring to GSL (Guyanese Sign Language) since Guyana, like other countries, has its own sign language that is valid in its own right.

Additionally, the visual media needs to increase sign language interpretation for the Deaf section of the population while the education sector needs to provide appropriate deaf dedicated education.

The Deaf Association of Guyana has been working to create awareness and improve the lives of the members of the Deaf community. It takes note of the achievement and talent displayed, particularly by the community’s young people, in education, art and music, athletics and co-curricular activities and in acquiring qualifications in areas such as advanced garment manufacturing and cosmetology.

Nevertheless, it does not shy away from indicating where improvements can be made, as `Silent Voices’ showcased. The effort to create a more inclusive Guyana for everyone is the responsibility of all her citizens.
More information can be found at the Deaf Association of Guyana’s website at deafguyana.weebly.com and contact can be made by email at smac888@yahoo.com, landline at 225-4489 and mobile at 687-3597 or 647-3565.