Having lost her hearing at a very young age, Yogeswari Chaujer has always been passionate about helping the hearing impaired. Known passionately as Yoges to her students and colleagues, she continues to make a difference in the lives of local and international students in Limkokwing University.
After finishing her studies, she worked as an Editor with various prominent magazines, and volunteered at the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA), teaching sign language to the hearing impaired. That was when she realized the thirst for learning that was in her students, but unfortunately she didn’t have enough time to teach them. When a call from Limkokwing University came offering her a job to teach Sign Language in English, it was the perfect opportunity for her to make a difference.
“It was a perfect opportunity for me to be in Limkokwing University, because it opens doors to the hearing impaired and gives them a chance they might otherwise never have.”
Limkokwing University gives a 25% discount for all hearing impaired students, and provides quality facilities and suitable learning tools. The hearing impaired students pursue any diploma or degree of their choice, attending classes with the rest of the students.
To help them understand in other classes, Yoges teaches her students to be confident in approaching their classmates, who will translate what the lecturer is saying through writing. Limkokwing University lecturers also take the time to explain to the students after class, also through writing.
“Many of the hearing impaired students come to Limkokwing because there is not many places that give their education such a level of attentive interest,” she says.
For her classes, Yoges records the lessons pre class, and sends them to the students, so that they can better understand during class. The videos also helps students to replay and revisit lesson long after class is done.
“If a teacher is passionate about educating her students, she will explore all the avenues that will help the students learn better, that is why I take the extra time to record the lessons for my students,” she says.
She has started a Deaf Club in the University. The club is a form of support society for the hearing impaired students, and she also organizes workshop for the students, getting industry professionals to talk about topics ranging from self-development to academic growth.
“The club was started to give support and encouragement among the hearing impaired. It helps the students feel safe here in the University,” she says.
She also organizes outings and workshops about some of the daily issues like family planning and HIV/AIDS, topics that might have plenty of information available to anyone else, but very little of it interpreted in sign language for the hearing impaired students.
The hearing impaired students are also exposed to the Limkokwing University’s practical way of learning, they go for industry projects, where Yoges will help interpret for them. Some of them have gone to United Kingdom and Melaka for the Global Classroom, where they were exposed to new cultures and learnt to deal with new people and environments.
Though she is well aware of the many challenges facing the hearing impaired, she instills in her students a sense of independence and hard work.
“We teach them to be independent, focusing on developing their skills, their ability to communicate and most importantly improve their proficiency in the English language.”
She says one of the major problems facing the hearing impaired students is the less receptive industry, but remains hopeful that it is changing. Currently she has graduated 57 students, who all have well established themselves in the industry.
“The usually jobs held by the hearing impaired used to be waitressing and such, but Limkokwing University is changing that, more of our students are getting white collar jobs.”
She encourages the hearing impaired and any other person with a disability to know that “disability does not mean incapability”, so they should work towards their dreams, starting with getting a university education to better their future, and also hopes industries will be more open to them and give them a chance to prove themselves.