At a recent event held at the Transoranje School for the Deaf in Pretoria West, reigning Miss South Africa Mia le Roux made a significant impact.

Joining the Gauteng Department of Education’s Sign Language and Music Enhancement Mini Festival, le Roux spoke passionately about the importance of embracing diversity and celebrating differences.

Championing Diversity and Self-Acceptance

Diagnosed with hearing loss at just one year old, Mia le Roux has dedicated herself to advocating for causes that matter to South Africans, with a particular focus on promoting inclusivity.

As the first differently-abled Miss South Africa, she emphasized that there’s no need for individuals to apologize for not fitting into society’s conventional standards.

“Believe in yourself,” Le Roux urged.

“You have incredible capabilities.

Embracing diversity is crucial because each of us brings something unique to the table, which ultimately strengthens and enriches our society.”

Gauteng Department of Education’s Sign Language Initiative

The Gauteng Department of Education has been making strides in promoting inclusivity through its Multi-Certification Skills Programme, launched in 2019.

This initiative aims to equip learners with skills that extend beyond traditional academic subjects, focusing on fostering an inclusive environment through sign language education.

Since its inception, the program has introduced 13,472 hearing Grade 5 students to South African Sign Language (SASL).

These students showcased their new skills by interacting with their deaf peers and teaching basic sign language phrases during the event.

Deshni Naidu from the department highlighted the program’s role in bridging gaps between the deaf and hearing communities.

“Our goal is to create advocacy for SASL and to facilitate interactions between those who are deaf or hard of hearing and their hearing counterparts,” she explained.

Naidu also expressed hope that hearing learners will continue their SASL studies in higher education and pursue careers as teachers or interpreters in schools for the deaf.

The Path Forward for South African Sign Language

In September 2023, South African Sign Language was officially recognized as the country’s 12th official language, coinciding with Deaf Awareness Month.

Despite this progress, Dr. Sally Maepa, Gauteng manager at the Pan South African Language Board (PanSALB), emphasized the need for further professionalization and standardization of SASL.

Maepa acknowledged the existence of multiple variants within SASL and expressed a desire to address concerns within the deaf community about the standardization process.

The goal is to ensure that all variations of SASL are recognized and valued, creating a more unified and inclusive communication system for all.

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