Hearing-impaired PE finalists reach for stars
In a bid to create awareness and acceptance of deaf people, two young Port Elizabeth finalists in this year’s Miss Deaf South Africa (MDSA) contest are determined to use the opportunity to reduce the stigma and empower themselves.
The contest, from October 6 to 13 in Pretoria, requires participants to show ambassadorial, leadership and confidence skills ahead of the finals night.
Michaela Gregory, 24, of Bethelsdorp, entered with the hope it would be a stepping stone for future endeavours.
After facing setbacks throughout her life, like her mother falling ill and having to move to the Bay, where Gregory receives little family support, she said she wanted to lead a normal life and believed the competition could provide the opportunity.
“Friends encouraged me to enter the competition.
“Entering this competition, I believe I will make a change for a lot of other young deaf people and help them find the opportunities that will open doors for them,” she said.
A family friend offered to help her gather funds for the competition at malls – a prerequisite of the competition where contestants are challenged to raise a certain amount of money to boost their entrepreneurial skills.
Simoné Ebersohn, 23, of Morningside, who was born with hearing ability but diagnosed with a hearing impediment at the age of two, said: “I am excited about being a finalist for MDSA and everything I am learning about myself.”
Ebersohn said she was ridiculed growing up, which made her insecure and “having to fight for a place in the sun”.
“My parents and family always supported me and if I should win the Miss Deaf SA title, it will provide me with a platform to reach young and old and illuminate the stigma attached to the deaf.
“It is important for people to be educated in knowing that being deaf is not an illness.
It is not something to be ashamed of, and deaf people are proud of who they are,” she said.
MDSA director Janice Jonker, 41, said: “We want to bridge the gap between the hearing and the deaf communities while creating a positive platform for our deaf community to reach their dreams and become a role model, showing that even if you are deaf you can still achieve a lot.
“We want to invest as much as we can in each finalist to grow and be the best they can be with skills and knowledge gained from the competition.”