Feeling empathy for deaf people helped me to counteract the prejudice I had. For example, I had the impression that the deaf were intellectually handicapped because when I spoke to them, they would look at me blankly. So I tried to imagine how I would feel if I could not hear someone talking to me. Of course I would have a blank face! Even if I had a hearing aid, my facial expression might seem to indicate, ‘I am struggling to understand,’ when really I would be struggling to hear.
Minyaa tema maa wɔn a wɔyɛ mum no, na ɛboaa me ma mesesaa adwene a ɛmfata a na mewɔ wɔ wɔn ho no. Sɛ nhwɛso no, na ɛyɛ me sɛ sɛ obi yɛ mum a, n’adwene nye efisɛ me ne wɔn kasa a, na wɔhwɛ m’anim saa. Enti mibisaa me ho sɛ, ‘Sɛ ɛyɛ me na obi rekasa akyerɛ me na mente a, anka mɛyɛ m’ade sɛn?’ Anka mɛhwɛ n’anim haa! Sɛ afiri a ɛboa obi ma ɔte kasa yiye hyɛ m’asom mpo a, sɛnea mɛyɛ m’anim no, ebia ɛbɛyɛ onipa no sɛ asɛm a ɔkae no, mente ase. Nanso wobɛhwɛ mu no, na mante nea ɔkae no mpo na kampɛsɛ mate ase.