Exhibition to put deaf people and their many achievements in frame
A UNIQUE exhibition highlighting the achievements of deaf people is to open in Leicester.
The exhibition will feature 27 portraits of deaf people from a wide range of backgrounds, including a TV chef, an NHS nurse and a kickboxer.
The project was spearheaded by Leicestershire-born photographer and De Montfort University graduate Stephen Iliffe, who is deaf himself.
He said his message was: “With the right support, deaf people can do anything.”
Deaf Mosaic is to open on Saturday, March 9, at Leicester Gallery, in the Vijay Patel building, De Montfort University, Mill Lane.
Speaking of his own experiences, Stephen said: “I had no adult deaf role models for what I could achieve in life.
“It wasn’t until my 20s that I stumbled across the deaf community. It was as if a light had been switched on in a dark room.”
Stephen said that overnight, his deafness went from being a negative to a positive for him.
“Finally, I began to understand that it isn’t deafness itself that disables people, but the barriers in society that often prevent us from achieving our dreams,” he said.
“There are now so many practical ways to create access for deaf people - from sign language interpreters to technologi
cal aids, from TV and video captions to inclusive classrooms and workplaces. “Deaf Mosaic affirms that with the right support, deaf people can achieve anything.” Craig Crowley, chief
executive of Action Deafness, the deaf-led charity which is supporting the exhibition, said: “The right support at the right time can make such a difference to the lives of deaf people and their families.”
DMU photography course leader Mark Krasumovic said: “We’re thrilled to welcome one of our graduates back to the De Montfort campus.
“There’s never been an exhibition about deaf people in Leicester before, so we are proud to host this.
“Stephen has an important message to share with the general public.
“He will also inspire our students by demonstrating that photography still has a vital role to play in documenting people’s lives and highlighting urgent issues.”
It isn’t deafness itself that disables people, but the barriers in society that often prevent us from achieving our dreams