By Lilly Quiroz
Maka Oviri lost her hearing unexpectedly, shortly after her first birthday.
The junior chemistry major from Warri, Nigeria, attended Southwest Collegiate Institute for the Deaf at Howard College her first two years of college. Now attending Texas Tech University, she is having a hard time with the social aspect of college as a deaf student.
The interview with Oviri was communicated in American Sign Language and interpreted by James Whitfield. She signed that most individuals at Texas Tech are nice, yet hearing students do not approach her.
“I like Texas Tech, but I think it’s the social aspect that I’m having a hard time with,” Oviri signed.
Lauren Matthys, a senior counselor for Student Disabilities Services, said students are often intimidated by students who are deaf, but should not be afraid to ask questions of anyone with disabilities.
“They don’t know how to communicate with them, and that’s a major part of human nature,” Matthys said. “So whenever they don’t feel that they can communicate with them, they kind of just shut down.”
Disability Awareness Week is held Oct. 24-28. On Oct. 27, there will be a disabilities panel event at the Student Union Building’s Escondido Theatre. Matthys said this would be a safe platform for hearing students to ask how they could make deaf students feel more comfortable and inclusive on campus.
Carolyn J. Scott, a lead sign language interpreter with Student Disability Services, is one of Oviri’s interpreters at Texas Tech.
“Because of communication barriers with hearing people who do not know sign language, deaf people may feel isolated from others, some even from their own families who have not learned sign language,” Scott said.
Oviri signed that there are not a lot of deaf individuals who are within her subject area.
Blaine Hill/The Hub@TTU
“I feel like I study by myself all the time,” Oviri signed. “I don’t have any friends who I can study with, and I kind of struggle with that.”
She signed that keeping up with class can also be hard at times.
“Deaf students access all information visually, so by the time the deaf students sees the interpretation and then looks to see where the professor is referring to on the PowerPoint or board, the professor has stopped pointing and moved on,” Scott said.
Scott said deaf students face additional challenges that hearing students do not.
“Deaf individuals may have to put forth extra effort, but they are most certainly capable of attending and succeeding in college,” Scott said.
Oviri signed that she accepts the term “disability” but prefers “deaf-abled.”
“I mean, ‘disabled’ kind of puts a negative connotation on you. It says that you can’t do things,” Oviri signed. “There are a lot of individuals out in the community who can do anything.”
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