Isn’t it ironic that sometimes the people who are closest to you can end up isolating you the most? They’re the ones who fail to understand you. Aiman’s story is a true testament to the mission and work of Deaf Reach.
Aiman is a student at DRS Nawabshah. Being the only Deaf person in her family Aiman always felt a sense of loneliness from not being able to communicate with anyone since no one knew sign language. She would often wonder if she would have to spend the rest of her life trying to get people to acknowledge her and beg them to listen to her or if there was a beacon of hope for her as well.
The hope for her came in the form of Deaf Reach School (DRS). When her parents found out about DRS they did their research and enrolled Aiman into the campus at Nawabshah. When Aiman first came to Deaf Reach she was shocked to see that everyone was communicating in sign language an experience she had been deprived of thus far in her life.
Along with Aiman receiving a well-rounded education here she also got to learn skills such as cooking and stitching. DRS gave Aiman the platform to explore her passion for cooking and this has resulted in her being able to run a successful home-based cooking business through which she financially supports her family and has become a big helping hand for her mother.
Through DRS, Aiman’s family was able to learn sign language through bi-monthly PSL classes. This created a safe and inclusive environment for Aiman not just within Deaf Reach but also at home and within her community. Aiman stated that she felt more at home at Deaf Reach than in the home that she grew up in.
‘Deaf Reach was that ray of hope that I had been waiting for since I was a little girl.’ – Aiman
