Boaz Blume during the signing workshop. Photo Femke van den Dries Text and photo Femke van den Dries
The annual One World Week offers a variety of activities designed to merge the many cultures that are found within the university. One of these is the culture of the deaf. Resource student-editor Femke van den Dries joined the sign language workshop on Monday evening.
Workshop facilitator Boaz Blume was born deaf. He is a teacher of Dutch sign language and an artist. He toys with the ‘tone’ of the signs in his signing poetry. Het uses an interpreter to state that the deaf community is becoming more visible. ‘I used to be mocked when signing in public. There is more respect now, although we still have a long way to go.’
At the start of the evening, it became clear that the workshop participants had limited knowledge of deafness. Is sign language universal? (No) Can the deaf or hard of hearing drive a car? (Most certainly) The participants can try their hand at reading lips. A lot more challenging than it appears. Blume explains that being able to sign is crucial for the deaf community because reading lips is exhausting. But, in the past, children were forbidden from using sign language in schools. When practising signing, the participants discovered that some signs are quite intuitive. The sign for a dog, for example, is two hands held in front of one’s chest like paws.
Dreaming
There is room for questions at the end of the workshop. For many attendants, it is the first opportunity they have had to ask a deaf person questions. For example, how do you dream when you are deaf? Blume: ‘I dream in images, and others use sign language in my dreams. I have been told I even sign in my sleep.’
There are plenty of activities every day of the week, ranging from a cultural fair to a Masterchef Cook-Off. Registration for the activities is still open through the WUR website.
