Bali: Village of the Deaf

A wonderful piece from The Global Mail - from a corner of the world we don't read about all that much - which is both heart-warming and inspirational.

"In the rest of the Bali – indeed in much of the developing world, and especially in its remote villages – being born deaf can be more profoundly isolating than others can easily imagine. With no language and little chance of education, the world is not simply silent, it is utterly bewildering. Frequently, deafness carries not just neglect but also a cruel stigma and separation from everyone around you.

On the northern slopes of Bali, about four hours from the tourist-heavy south, Bengkala is a fascinating example of a

community that has spontaneously adapted to ease the burden of deafness.

The village has its reasons for this.

According to local history, congenital deafness began showing up among village children eight generations ago, says Kanta, 55, a villager who has taken it upon himself to lead the education of local deaf children. Five generations ago, the number of deaf exploded, a situation that has continued, likely because of close intermarriage in the village.

Today, 44 villagers are kolok, or deaf (33 of them are currently living within the confines of the village). With a high rate of deafness, the indigenous sign language has evolved and spread, aided by the uniquely close-knit nature of Balinese life, where extended families live in walled compounds and are intimately tied to clans and, above that, powerful hamlet councils known as banjar. Because each of the village’s 12 clans contains kolok, Kanta explains, most villagers know how to speak with them. In daily life, the deaf are at little disadvantage.

“If the deaf and the hearing are interacting well with each other then it automatically becomes part of the culture,” Kanta says."