“Here at Silence, we support our community of 4000+ members in the deaf community through interpretation services, including at hospitals, law firms or even in family court. We organise activities, plays and events to engage the community, and provide hands-on courses to develop their technical skills and broaden career options for our community. I’ve been with Silence since it was founded over 16 years ago. My previous job was very different - I used to work at a bank! Every day on my way to work, I would come across a group of deaf people sitting in front of me on the bus. I would watch in awe as they communicated animatedly, and was inspired to learn to sign. Soon after, I joined a sign language course and began to offer my skills as a volunteer. Apart from my work at our centre, I also work as a sign interpreter on the TV news channels. It can be nerve wracking to translate technical jargon or complicated policies live on air, but I do enjoy it."

「喺龍耳，我哋向超過4000位聾人和弱聽人士提供傳譯服務，場合包括醫院、律師樓及家事法庭等等，致力為聽障界別出一分力。我哋不時舉辦各類活動、戲劇同聚會，務求提高社會關注；我哋亦開設實務手語課程，為學員建立手語傳譯技術，有助社會開拓職涯路向。我喺龍耳成立初期就已經入職，至今已經踏入第16年。加入龍耳前，我本身係個銀行職員。我每朝搭巴士返工，都會撞見一班聾人坐喺我面前。見到佢哋用手語好熱烈咁傾偈嗰陣，我內心不禁嘆服，同時立志潛心鑽研手語。過咗冇幾耐，我就報名上堂學手語，仲會義務幫聾人做手語傳譯㖭。我除咗喺龍耳服務中心做嘢，我亦係電視新聞台嘅手語傳譯員。有陣時，新聞直播需要傳譯一啲專門嘅術語，或者一啲複雜嘅政策，其實我都會幾頭痕，但我真心鍾意呢份工。」

”People with hearing impairment can often experience emotional issues. They may feel like they have to suppress their feelings or are unable to fully express themselves. Some of them may feel excluded or discriminated against - leading to low self-confidence and fewer education or job opportunities. At Silence, we offer emotional support to our members and their families to give them a safe and open platform to express. It’s only been pretty recent since the deaf and hard of hearing community has felt empowered to stand up for themselves and fight for their rights. It’s the beginning of a long journey and I think there’s a lot to learn from systems abroad on how we can better support and include the deaf community."

”I really enjoy my work here, because it allows me to use my sign language skills - just like I had always wanted all those years ago! I really hope that through our work, we can encourage the general public to be more kind, caring and accepting of people with invisible disabilities. We will soon be hosting an experiential learning event to invite people to understand the day to day life of a deaf person living in Hong Kong. The aim is to build empathy and raise awareness of the challenges experienced by the deaf community day in day out, and promote greater understanding, inclusiveness and kindness through this experience. During the week, I’m usually pretty tired from work, so on Sundays I try to do something completely different to relax - I love to practise Chinese dancing and go hiking!”

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 「聽障人士往往會受情緒問題困擾，佢哋一係覺得必須壓抑住內心嘅感受、一係覺得無能力完整咁表達自己。有啲人會覺得畀人排斥，甚至遭到歧視，搞到佢哋無晒自信，連求學或工作機會都變少咗。喺龍耳，我哋向會員及其家人提供情緒支援服務，營造安全而開明嘅環境畀佢哋抒發情緒。直到最近，聾人和弱聽人士先自覺有能力為自己發聲，勇敢爭取屬於自己嘅權利。雖然而家先係漫漫長路嘅開始，但我認為，外國有好多制度值得借鑑，畀我哋學下點樣更好咁支援聽障界別、點樣幫助佢哋融入社會。」

 「我好鍾意呢份工㗎，因為我可以利用手語幫聽障人士傳譯，總算實現咗多年前嘅夢想。我希望透過我哋嘅努力，鼓勵社會大眾對待隱性殘障人士嗰陣更友善、更關懷、更包容。我哋嚟緊會舉辦實驗研習活動，邀請各界人士前來體驗居港聾人嘅日常。我哋嘅目標係透過親身體驗，令大眾同情聽障人士嘅境況，畀更多人知道聽障人士平時面對緊嘅挑戰，繼而促進更深層次嘅理解、包容同善心。成個星期係咁做嘢，我有時都會覺攰，所以逢星期日我就會做第二樣嘢令自己放鬆，我最鍾意就係跳中國舞及行山！」