Unique approach to deafness in Balinese Indonesian village

The village, at first glance, appears like any other on this tropical island, which is very popular with foreign tourists. But underneath the surface, there’s a unique reality. A recessive genetic condition has been found by health specialists to be far more common here than in surrounding areas, causing a much higher prevalence of hearing loss.

But the higher number of people with hearing loss has led to the development of a unique environment in which those affected are fully included in community life, unlike in many other parts of Indonesia. From an early age, all children are enrolled in the same classes and no separation is imposed on the hard of hearing. Also, people with hearing impairment are trained in special skills so that they can produce items for sale to tourists for instance, and thus contribute to the local economy.

Interestingly, a unique form of sign language has been developed in the isolated village and has been mastered by those with hearing impairment as well as by many residents who can hear. It is called Kata Kolok, literally meaning “talk of the deaf” and has been studied by researchers.

The village also has a unique project whereby deaf people spend months learning special moves to perform a “dance of the deaf”, in traditional dress. They perform the dance entirely from memory and their performances have seen growing interest from tourists and locals alike.

Source: The Malay Mail