Mwezi wa National Deaf Awareness

Kugontha ndi chinthu chomwe sindinachidziwepo. M’banja langa, sizili zachilendo monga momwe zimakhalira m’mabanja ambiri. Zili choncho chifukwa ndili ndi achibale atatu omwe ndi ogontha, ndipo chodabwitsa n’chakuti ugontha wawo aliyense alibe chobadwa nawo, choncho m’banja mwanga mulibe. Mayi anga aang’ono a Pat anabadwa ndi vuto losamva chifukwa cha matenda amene agogo anga anadwala ali ndi pakati. Agogo anga aamuna (omwe ndi abambo a Aunt anga a Pat) adasiya kumva pa ngozi. Ndipo msuweni wanga anali wosamva chibadwire koma anatengedwa ndi Aunt anga Maggie (mlongo wa Aunt anga a Pat ndi mwana wina wamkazi wa agogo anga) ali mtsikana.

Ndikukula, nthawi zambiri ndinkakhala ndi mbali imeneyi ya banja, makamaka azakhali anga. Mwana wake wamkazi, msuweni wanga Jen, ndi ine timagwirizana kwambiri ndipo tinali mabwenzi apamtima pamene tikukula. Tinkangokhalira kugona nthawi zonse, nthawi zina kwa masiku angapo. Azakhali anga a Pat anali ngati mayi wachiŵiri kwa ine, monganso amayi anga kwa Jen. Ndikakhala kunyumba kwawo, Mayi Pat ankatitengera kumalo osungira nyama kapena ku McDonald’s, kapena tinkabwereka mafilimu ochititsa mantha ku Blockbuster n’kumawaonera ndi mbale yaikulu ya popcorn. Panali pamaulendo amenewa ndidawona momwe zimakhalira kuti munthu wosamva kapena wosamva azitha kulumikizana ndi ogwira ntchito kapena ogwira ntchito zosiyanasiyana. Pamene ine ndi Jen tinali aang’ono, azakhali anga ankatitengera kumalo amenewa popanda munthu wina wamkulu. Tidali ochepa kwambiri kuti sitingathe kuchita nawo malonda kapena kucheza ndi akuluakulu, motero amayendetsa yekha zochitikazi. Ndikayang’ana m’mbuyo, ndimadabwa komanso ndikusangalala kuti anatichitira zimenezi.

Azakhali anga ndi odziwa kwambiri kuwerenga milomo, zomwe zimawathandiza kuti azilankhulana bwino ndi anthu akumva. Koma si aliyense amene angamumvetse akamalankhula mmene ineyo ndi achibale ake timachitira. Nthawi zina, antchito amavutika kukambirana naye, zomwe, ndikutsimikiza, zinali zokhumudwitsa kwa azakhali a Pat, komanso antchito. Vuto lina lidabwera panthawi ya mliri wa COVID-19. Popeza aliyense ankavala zophimba nkhope, zinkamuvuta kwambiri kuti azilankhulana chifukwa sankatha kuwerenga milomo yake.

Komabe, ndinenanso kuti luso laukadaulo lapita patsogolo kuyambira zaka za m'ma 90, zakhala zophweka kuyankhulana ndi azakhali anga patali. Iye amakhala ku Chicago ndipo ine ndimakhala ku Colorado, koma timalankhula nthawi zonse. Kutumizirana mameseji kutayamba kufala kwambiri, ndinkatha kumulembera m’mbuyo ndi m’mbuyo kuti azilankhulana naye. Ndipo ndi kupangidwa kwa FaceTime amathanso kucheza m'chinenero chamanja nthawi iliyonse yomwe akufuna, kulikonse kumene ali. Pamene ndinali wamng’ono, njira yokhayo yolankhulirana ndi azakhali anga pamene tinalibe pamasom’pamaso inali kudzera pa teletypewriter (TTY). M'malo mwake, amalembamo, ndipo wina amatiimbira foni ndikutumiza mauthenga pafoni uku ndi uku. Sizinali njira yabwino yolankhulirana, ndipo tinangoigwiritsa ntchito pakagwa ngozi.

Izi zinali zovuta zomwe ndidaziwona. Koma ndaganizirapo za mavuto ena onse amene iye ankakumana nawo omwe sindinawaganizirepo. Mwachitsanzo, azakhali anga ndi mayi okha. Anadziwa bwanji pamene Jen anali kulira ngati khanda usiku? Kodi amadziŵa bwanji pamene galimoto yangozi ikuyandikira pamene akuyendetsa? Sindikudziwa momwe nkhanizi zidayankhidwira koma ndikudziwa kuti azakhali anga sanalole chilichonse kuti chimulepheretse kukhala ndi moyo, kulera mwana wawo wamkazi yekha, komanso kukhala azakhali odabwitsa komanso mayi wachiwiri kwa ine. Pali zinthu zomwe zimandikhalira nthawi zonse kuyambira ndikukula ndikukhala ndi azakhali anga a Pat. Ndikatuluka n’kuona anthu aŵiri akulankhulana m’chinenero chamanja, ndimafuna kupereka moni. Ndikumva kutonthozedwa ndi mawu ofupikitsa a pa TV. Ndipo pakali pano ndikuphunzitsa mwana wanga wamwamuna wa miyezi 7 chizindikiro cha “mkaka” chifukwa makanda amatha kuphunzira chinenero chamanja asanalankhule.

Kugontha kumalingaliridwa ndi ena kukhala “chilema chosaoneka,” ndipo nthaŵi zonse ndimalingalira kuti kuli kofunika kupanga malo ogona kuti anthu ogontha azitha kutenga nawo mbali m’zinthu zonse zimene gulu lakumva lingachite. Koma malinga ndi zimene ndaona komanso kuwerenga, anthu ambiri osamva saona kuti ndi olumala. Ndipo izo kwa ine zimayankhula ndi mzimu wa Aunt anga a Pat. Kukhala ndi nthawi yocheza ndi azakhali anga, agogo anga, ndi msuweni wanga kwandiphunzitsa kuti anthu ogontha amatha kuchita chilichonse chimene anthu akumva angathe kuchita ndi zina zambiri.

Ngati mukufuna kuphunzira chinenero chamanja, kuti muzitha kulankhulana mosavuta ndi anthu osamva, pali zambiri zothandizira pa intaneti.

• Pulogalamu ya ASL ndi pulogalamu yaulere yomwe imapezeka pa mafoni a Google ndi Apple, yopangidwa ndi anthu osamva kwa omwe akufuna kuphunzira chinenero chamanja.
• Yunivesite ya Gallaudet, yunivesite ya anthu ogontha komanso osamva, imaperekanso maphunziro a pa Intaneti.
• Palinso makanema angapo a YouTube omwe angakuphunzitseni zizindikiro zachangu zomwe zimabwera mothandiza, monga chonchi chimodzi.

Ngati mukufuna kuphunzitsa mwana wanu chinenero chamanja, palinso zinthu zambiri zomwe mungachite.

• Zimene muyenera kuyembekezera amapereka malingaliro pa zizindikiro zomwe mungagwiritse ntchito ndi mwana wanu komanso momwe mungamusonyezere komanso nthawi yake.
• The Bumpu ali ndi nkhani yokhala ndi zithunzi zamakatuni zosonyeza zizindikiro zodziwika bwino za ana.
• Ndipo, kachiwiri, kusaka mwachangu pa YouTube kubweretsa makanema okuwonetsani momwe mungachitire zizindikiro za mwana, monga chonchi chimodzi.