The Sound of Silence

A Journey through Deaf Culture in Hong Kong

Hong Kong Sign Language (HKSL) faces endangerment. Our project tackles this by working with the Deaf community to document HKSL, explore its signs, and empower Deaf culture. Join us in preserving HKSL and building bridges between Deaf and hearing communities.

Quick facts

The language barrier

The Deaf community in Hong Kong, the primary users of Hong Kong Sign Language (HKSL), faces significant marginalization due to the language barrier: the hearing doesn't understand the HKSL, but the Deaf have limited access to education in order to express themselves via writing. The lack of a written record, coupled with ableism and social stigma, creates immense challenges in deaf education access.

Today, HKSL continues to lack institutional and educational support, evident in the drastic reduction of Deaf schools from five to one, serving a mere 60 to 100 pupils. Despite this hardship, there are approximately 300 HKSL users under 15 years old as of 2021 (Census and Statistics Department, HKSAR, 2021), highlighting the critical need for improved language support and resources.

Our aims

overcoming the barrier

Anything that helps connect the Deaf and the hearing communities will overcome the language barrier.
This allows Deaf culture to rise above the difficulties of being in an isolated minority with low literacy.

Documentation

Hong Kong Sign Language (HKSL) is relatively new and undocumented, with barely any written record prior to 1935.  The Deaf culture, with no written tradition, relies on one-to-one (“oral”) transmission for survival.

Documentation is prerequisite to studying and preserving the sign language. The collected data acts as a reference resource and preservation effort.

Through collaboration with Deaf HKSL educators and the Deaf community, we documented a wide-range of HKSL data, which forms the core of our database.

By documenting HKSL and its visual characteristics, we aim to preserve HKSL and the intangible Deaf culture by

  • facilitating teaching and learning of HKSL
  • preserving intangible cultural heritage for an illiterate cultural minority
  • promoting sense of ownership and legitimacy
  • connecting the hearing and Deaf community thought outreach efforts

Engagement

Active participation from the Deaf community

During the study, we invited Deaf people from all ages to provide useful input regarding their native language, giving them direct participation in the process of HKSL preservation.

Through recruiting Deaf community members to learn about HKSL and sign language research in general, we encouraged a sense of ownership of HKSL.

The elderly Deaf people, who rarely use a computer, also learnt new skills in digital literacy in the course of providing HKSL data.

Engagement with the community

Students trained as docents and ambassadors for the Deaf in art show

We have trained docents to assist in various cultural outreach projects with the Deaf.

They have been stationed at the “open_in_new Point Line Mean” exhibition, featuring art pieces from various communities in Hong Kong, including the Deaf community.

The artists worked closely with the docents to tell the story from the artist’s perspective to the visiting public with maximum impact.

The docents were also present in workshops hosted by the artists of the Point Line Mean exhibition.

The workshops were a creative and interactive experience for visitors to experience and understand Deaf culture.

The Deaf artists communicated directly with the audience using HKSL with the help of interpretation, providing an opportunity for the hearing public to be exposed to HKSL.

Incorporating HKSL in charitable efforts for the Deaf community

Our HKSL training was put to use in volunteering work in the benefit of the Deaf community.

The volunteer providing first aid service for two football matches organized Hong Kong, China Sports Association of the Deaf (HKCSAD) received training through our project.

Bridge of Signs

We have also supported the production of “Bridge of Signs” , a documentary about Deaf parents and their children, and the challenges they face.

The documentary highlights the marginalization of the Deaf community, and how Deaf parents and CODA (Children of Deaf Adults) navigate through a world of sounds and noises.

The documentary was well-received both in the Deaf and hearing communities.

Through the efforts of our students and researchers in applying HKSL knowledge, we have made an impact on

  • Over 360 members of public who visited the Point-Line-Mean exhibition, who experienced first-hand the artistic impression of Deaf perceptual experiences
  • Over 300 members of the audience of the documentary “Bridge of Signs”, who gained a better understanding of Deaf culture and perspectives
  • The audience and players in one local Deaf football match and one interregional (Hong Kong-Shenzhen-Chengdu) football match by providing voluntary first aid service
Acknowledgements

This project would not be possible without the support of the following organisations:
(in no particular order)

Project contributors
  • CHEN, Chuwen Joanna
    (Undergraduate Research Assistant)
  • CHEN, Fei Peng Kevin
    (Undergraduate Research Assistant)
  • CHEN, Pui Ching Rachel
    (Undergraduate Research Assistant)
  • CHIK, Wing Cheung Aaron
    (Research Assistant)
  • CHUNG, Yu Hei Hannah
    (Undergraduate Research Assistant)
  • Dr DO, Youngah
    (Principal investigator)
  • KAM, Yeuk Lam Cynthia
    (Professional HKSL Interpreter)
  • KI, Clarissa
    (Undergraduate Research Assistant)
  • KONG, Wan Ki KK
    (HKSL educator and consultant)
  • LIANG, Xin Olivia
    (Undergraduate Research Assistant)
  • NG, Chui Yin Judy
    (Undergraduate Research Assistant)
  • NGAI, Yu On Mavies
    (Undergraduate Research Assistant)
  • Dr SEVILLA, Robert Marcelo
    (Postdoc researcher)
  • TAN, Lihui Frank
    (Postgraduate student)
  • Dr THOMPSON, Arthur L
    (Postdoc researcher)
  • ZHENG, Shuang Ivy
    (Postgraduate student)
  • WANG, Kai Fung
    (HKSL educator and consultant)
  • YIP, Wing Tsun Jeff
    (Undergraduate Research Assistant)
  • and the Deaf community
References

Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. (2021). Social data Collected via the General Household Survey: Special Topics Report—Report No.63—Persons with disabilities and chronic diseases (Statistical Reports 63). Census and Statistics Department. https://www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/EIndexbySubject.html?pcode=B1130121&scode=453#section1

Hong Kong-Macau Sign Language. (n.d.). UNESCO WAL. Retrieved 4 July 2024, from https://en.wal.unesco.org/languages/hong-kong-macau-sign-language