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Go George champions learn sign language phrases

Persons who are hard of hearing will turn their head with the ear that hears better towards you and will watch your face and mouth to lip read. Speak slowly and form the words clearly with your lips, making sure there is light on your face for clear viewing.

These are a few of the handy tips conveyed to the first group of GO GEORGE communication champions attending a workshop presented by Elina Nieuwoudt, a friend of the Deaf community in George and who knows South African Sign Language (SASL).

The aim is to equip the champions with basic knowledge to identify a passenger who is possibly hard of hearing or deaf and to sign basic phrases regarding the bus service. They are the staff who engage directly with passengers, including persons with different categories of special needs. The group attending the workshop enjoyed the opportunity to acquire a new skill that will enable them to show courtesy to passengers who are hearing impaired.

“Even if I can only greet that person, say my name, and welcome them on a GO GEORGE bus in sign language, I’m sure they will appreciate my effort,” said one of the champions, “but if we practise amongst ourselves, I hope to remember how to offer the bus timetables and route maps too, and remind them that they cannot pay with cash, but need to use a Smart Card to get on the bus.”

According to feedback that Elina has received from a few Deaf friends, the wearing of masks poses some challenges to lip readers. When visiting the GO GEORGE info kiosk for advice, a passenger who was hearing impaired could not read the information officer’s lips, so she offered to stand back from the window enabling the officer to remove her mask for the conversation – a win-win situation. “Another passenger wrote down her question about the bus service, with the champion responding in writing. A request for route information on Facebook was responded to with a photo of the route map. In general, people with a hearing impairment find the GO GEORGE staff and bus drivers most helpful,” she says.

To accommodate passengers who are hearing impaired, the digital information boards inside the buses indicate which stop comes next, while written instructions applied inside buses assist them in using the system.

James Robb, GO GEORGE Manager, is positive about the latest developments. “Upskilling the champions to better serve different categories of special needs has been launched this month, Disability Rights Awareness Month (DRAM). It will, however, remain part of an ongoing programme to focus on the needs of all passengers and to continuously improve the customer experience of the GO GEORGE service within the community of George,” he said.
Caption:
Most chuffed with themselves and their newly acquired Sign Language vocabulary, the GO GEORGE champions could hardly wait to get to the bus stops to test their new skill. Signing “I help you” are, clockwise from front left, Janell Gelant, Thandokazi Joka, Tanya Appels, Joey Ruiters, Thembisa Matiya and Nomsa Ginyagazi.

GO GEORGE-PASSASIERSDIENSBEAMPTES LEER FRASES IN GEBARETAAL
Mense wat moeilik hoor, sal hul kop met die oor wat beter hoor na jou toe draai en jou gesig en mond dophou om jou lippe te lees. Praat stadig en vorm die woorde duidelik met jou lippe en maak seker daar is lig op jou gesig vir duidelike sigbaarheid.

Dit is ‘n paar van die handige wenke wat oorgedra is aan die eerste groep GO GEORGE-passasiersdiensbeamptes wat ‘n werkswinkel bygewoon het by Elina Nieuwoudt, ‘n vriendin van die Dowe gemeenskap in George en wat Suid-Afrikaanse Gebaretaal (SASL) ken.
Die doel is om die passasiersdiensbeamptes toe te rus met basiese kennis om ‘n passasier te identifiseer wat moontlik hardhorend of doof is en basiese frases rakende die busdiens in gebaretaal oor te dra. Hulle is die personeel wat direk met passasiers, insluitend persone met verskillende kategorieë spesiale behoeftes, werk. Die groep wat die werkswinkel bygewoon het, het dit geniet om ‘n nuwe vaardigheid wat hulle in staat sal stel om hoflikheid te betoon aan passasiers wat gehoorgestremd is, aan te leer.

“Selfs al kan ek net daardie persoon groet, my naam sê en hulle in gebaretaal op ‘n GO GEORGE-bus verwelkom, is ek seker hulle sal my poging waardeer,” het een van die beamptes gesê, “maar as ons onder onsself oefen, hoop ek om te onthou hoe om ook die busroosters en roetekaarte aan te bied en hulle te herinner dat hulle nie met kontant kan betaal nie, maar ‘n Slimkaart moet gebruik om op die bus te ry.”
Volgens terugvoer wat Elina van ‘n paar Dowe vriende ontvang het, hou die dra van maskers ‘n paar uitdagings vir liplesers in. Toe sy die GO GEORGE-inligtingkiosk besoek het vir raad, kon ‘n passasier wat gehoorgestremd is nie die inligtingsbeampte se lippe lees nie, en het sy aangebied om terug te staan van die venster af sodat die beampte haar masker vir die gesprek kon afhaal – ‘n wen-wen-situasie. “Nog ‘n passasier het haar vraag oor die busdiens neergeskryf, met die passasiersdiensbeampte wat skriftelik daarop gereageer het. ‘n Versoek vir roete-inligting op Facebook is beantwoord met ‘n foto van die roetekaart. Oor die algemeen vind mense met ‘n gehoorgestremdheid die GO GEORGE-personeel en -busbestuurders baie behulpsaam,” sê sy.

Om passasiers te akkommodeer wat gehoorgestremd is, dui die digitale inligtingsborde binne die busse aan watter bushalte volgende kom, terwyl skriftelike instruksies wat binne busse aangebring is, hulle help om die stelsel te gebruik.

James Robb, GO GEORGE-bestuurder, is positief oor die jongste verwikkelinge. “Ons het vandeesmaand, tydens die Maand vir die Bewusmaking van die Regte van Mense met Gestremdhede, afgeskop met die vaardigheidsuitbouing van die passasiersdiensbeamptes om verskillende kategorieë spesiale behoeftes beter te dien. Dit sal egter deel bly van ‘n deurlopende program om op die behoeftes van alle passasiers te fokus en om voortdurend ons kliënte se ervaring van die GO GEORGE-diens binne die gemeenskap van George te verbeter,” het hy gesê.

ONDERSKRIF:
Die GO GEORGE-passasiersdiensbeamptes was baie in hul skik met hul nuutverworwe woordeskat in Gebaretaal en kon skaars wag om by die bushaltes uit te kom om hul nuwe vaardigheid te toets. Hier sê hulle: “Ek help jou”. Kloksgewys van voor links is Janell Gelant, Thandokazi Joka, Tanya Appels, Joey Ruiters, Thembisa Matiya en Nomsa Ginyagazi.