By Callum Ludwig
A good ‘sign’ of any community group or environment is a welcoming and caring atmosphere and ease of access for all.
The Wesburn Baptist Church is hoping to open up opportunities for us all to be more inclusive with their deaf awareness event on Saturday 18 March.
Pastor Andrew Leng said they’re sharing important pieces of information regarding deafness, deaf culture, and a few common myths and misunderstandings.
“We hope this will give an appreciation for the needs and experiences of the deaf community, and perhaps spark some interest in learning Australian Sign Language (Auslan),” he said.
“When we better understand the needs and experiences of others, it helps us be more compassionate and willing to build the necessary bridges that may currently be missing in our society. Compassion and understanding go a long way, and when we try to incorporate them into our daily life, I think kindness grows from there.”
The Wesburn Baptist Church has its own deaf ministry to cater to the needs of deaf members of their community.
Pr Leng said they thankful to have a ministry to deaf, being able to provide interpreting access at their services, including interpreting for an individual who is deaf and blind.
“The deaf that attend will be helping us on the day, bringing us an understanding of their experiences as deaf people. Leading the discussions will be NAATI-qualified interpreter, Marie Hopkins, who has significant hearing loss herself,” he said.
“We believe because of Marie’s extensive knowledge and her passion for meeting the needs of the deaf, she will be able to provide valuable insight to the topics that’ll be covered. Marie is also currently preparing to be a missionary to the deaf overseas, partnering with a Christian organisation called Go Deaf Missions.”
NAATI stands for National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters, while Ms Hopkins also holds has a Diploma of Interpreting from RMIT and a Diploma of Auslan from Melbourne Polytechnic.
Pr Leng said Wesburn BC’s greatest desire is being able to provide everyone access to hearing the message of the Bible and come to an understanding of who Jesus is.
“Beyond this, however, we’d like to see more churches and other non-religious organisations being willing to provide interpreting services, and taking thought into how we all can better help the deaf and those with disabilities within our communities,” he said.
“Sometimes when we see those that are different to ourselves we tend to avoid interaction, so I’d like to encourage anyone who can to come along and meet people that are different to you, and be reminded that differences aren’t something to be scared of, only something to be understood.”
The Deaf Awareness Event will be held from 9.30am to 12pm with a morning tea included at the church, 2848 Warburton Highway Wesburn. RSVP to wesburnbc@gmail.com
