Cape Town - I grew up in a community with many deaf people as my father was a reverend at a congregation for the hearing impaired. This is how I came to know Oom Pierre van Zyl.
He was one of the first residents at the De La Bat Home for the Elderly in Bellville (Die Rusoord vir Dowes). He was born deaf and lost his sight more than 20 years ago. De La Bat is a safe haven for 76-year-old Oom Pierre and others with hearing impairments. He relies on his senses of smell and touch to get around, and the institution provides a safe environment for him to move around freely, without having to depend on caregivers.
When I returned to the community a decade later, I found Oom Pierre walking on his way to check for mail. I greeted him with an embrace and after a short while, he called me by my name. He had recognised me by scent.
People like Oom Pierre need specialised care, nursing and stimulation to maintain a healthy state of mind. The only way to communicate with him is to manipulate his hand into sign language, or by spelling out letters with your finger in the palm of his hand. While many living with this kind of severe disability might choose to relax, he keeps busy and overcomes his disability in an astonishing manner. He is a gifted carpenter, producing quality furniture and he has a passion for building model locomotives.
The danger posed by working with power tools is evident by the few missing digits on his hands. This also affects his ability to sign. Living in a world with no sight or sound can be lonely, and his isolation became more apparent after his wife of 11 years died two months ago. She, too, was deaf and blind. When I asked him about her, he immediately started crying.
Between November 3 and December 3, South Africa celebrates National Disability Rights Awareness Month. This gives us the opportunity to focus on giving the disabled and elderly in our country the assistance and dignity they deserve.
As the widely used quote goes:
“The greatness of a nation can be judged by how it treats its weakest member.”
Cape Argus