The Voice Show, hosted by Videlis Njoki, who is Deaf, and expertly interpreted by Minnie Mbessa, featured an inspiring conversation with Rebecca Sipe, an American Sign Language interpreter with three decades of experience.
Rebecca, who has lived in Kenya for a significant period, was joined by her sisters, Donna Sipe and Sherri Massangale. Donna, an attorney in the U.S., specializes in child protective services, and all three sisters have a shared connection to Kenya.
During the show, Donna shared a powerful story about a case where she defended a Deaf child who was experiencing domestic violence.
The child's parents were not learning sign language, and the child was not enrolled in a school for the Deaf. This experience moved Donna to teach her own colleagues some basic sign language to better serve the Deaf community.
This highlights a crucial issue: as the chairman of the Kenya Sign Language Interpreters Association (KSLIA) pointed out recently, about 90% of Deaf children are born into hearing families, which underscores the vital importance of these families learning sign language to connect with their children.
Rebecca noted that Deaf people feel a great sense of excitement when a hearing person shows interest in their language, even by simply finger-spelling. However, she also mentioned that awareness about the Deaf community is not yet at 100%, as some people are still not even aware that Deaf people exist.
The sisters emphasized the importance of sign language in promoting Deaf inclusion, sharing how learning it has made them feel more connected.
Rebecca’s journey with ASL began when she attended a class with her sister. This initial fascination led her to spend more time with deaf people, deepening her desire to learn more.
She recalled a unique experience: she lived near a noisy car manufacturing factory where many Deaf people worked because the noise didn't bother them. The hearing people, however, disliked working there.
This environment provided Rebecca with a unique opportunity to meet and befriend many Deaf individuals.
What started as work became a true passion for her. Rebecca also noted that for a long time, sign language interpreters worked on a voluntary basis. It wasn't until the Americans with Disabilities Act was passed that interpreters were officially recognized and began to get paid for their work.
She compared the progress of both Kenya Sign Language (KSL) and American Sign Language (ASL), noting that both have made remarkable strides.
For more on their inspiring story, check out the full interview on our YouTube page at https://youtu.be/syJshBj_QnE. .
Tags: Americans With Disabilities Act Ksl NCPWD Signstvkenya AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE Editor's Pick
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Selestine Nyongesa
Experienced and versatile writer, dedicated to using my exceptional writing and editing skills to inform and advocate. My work focuses on educating and entertaining readers on a range of topics, with a particular expertise in matters of disability.