Taranaki woman Chanelle Waite is profoundly deaf, and uses New Zealand Sign Language to communicate.
Taranaki woman Chanelle Waite is profoundly deaf, and uses New Zealand Sign Language to communicate.
A Taranaki deaf woman is calling on employers and schools to become more “deaf friendly”.
Chanelle Waite lives in Stratford and is a passionate advocate for the deaf community. Despite being profoundly deaf herself, she makes sure her voice is heard by communicating via pen and notebook, Facebook messenger and regular videos on her Sign With Chaz Facebook page.
In an interview conducted via instant messaging for New Zealand Sign Language Week, Waite said being deaf had made it hard for her to find work, and she faced “lots of barriers” in her employment hunt that didn’t exist for hearing people.
“It’s unacceptable that these barriers exist, and we, the deaf community, demand change.”
Waite said while she “desperately” wanted to find work, it’s not only her missing out on opportunities.
“Employers too. Employing members of the deaf community will increase diversity in their workplace. Being willing to make small changes in their hiring processes would mean being able to tap into a pool of talented individuals who are often overlooked, but are ready, willing and eager to start work.”
It wouldn’t take much, she said.
“They just need to take the initiative and make some reasonable accommodations such as adding to the workplace communication options.”
Notepads aren’t expensive, she said, “but they mean we can communicate”.
Waite said this year she had already applied for numerous jobs, but was yet to be offered an interview.
“I want to work, to show what I can do. But I am not being given the chance.”
Fed up with waiting for employers to see her potential, Waite has set herself up with a home photography business in the meantime.
“As a photographer, communication is easy. Clients can understand me through basic sign language like body language, hand gestures, and pointing. Many of my clients have been surprised by how well I can get them to pose despite communication issues.”
Lance,13, Josh, 9, and Noah Waite, 14, often translate for their profoundly deaf parents.
It’s not only the workplace that feels inaccessible to Waite, but her children’s schools too.
She said with three sons at three schools, it would be hard for any parent to keep on top of school notices, but for her it can be even harder.
“I sometimes feel isolated from knowing what is happening at my children’s school, especially when they post videos of the principal talking on the school’s social media pages. As a deaf person, I often struggle to understand what is being said in these videos as they are not subtitled.”
School apps helped, she said, but didn’t always give her the full story.
“If there is a video on a social media page or a talk at the school about something, I can’t understand it. I have to rely on my oldest son to keep me updated on what’s going on at their school.”
For members of the deaf community, be they at school or school parents, in the workforce or using a company’s services, there were barriers everywhere, Waite said.
“We can feel isolated and so keep to ourselves.”
People could be unsure about how to approach a deaf person, she said, so they didn’t try.
She said if children learned basic sign language at school, it would help people like her feel less isolated.
“For sign language week, I want everyone to celebrate the power of sign language and to learn to use some.”
Ilona Hanne is a Taranaki-based journalist and news director who covers breaking and community news from across the region. She has worked for NZME since 2011.
