The Nation, 20 October 2004

By Suwicha Chanitnun

Rojana Manowalailao

For 19-year-old Jakrada Attarataya, born deaf in both ears, living in a world of silence has not hampered her ambitions to be a scientist.

She went to a regular schools, speaks like other children and nowadays, passes her time in a Chulalongkorn University laboratory, indistinguishable from her classmates.

Instead of despairing at having conceived a baby daughter who would be deaf for life, Jakrada’s parents realised they must do everything in their power to give her the same opportunities as other children.

So they sent her to learn to speak, pronouncing words and practising articulation, rather than resigning her to a life of sign language like other children with impaired hearing.

“I don’t want her to communicate by sign language. It’ll emphasis that she is different. I want my daughter to communicate through spoken language as much as possible,” said her mother, Ubonrat Attarataya.

The profoundly deaf girl, who has attended regular classes since Prathom 3, won a seat at Faculty fo Science at Chulalongkorn University last year.

Now she enjoys a normal life and a GPA of 3.16. After graduating she intends to pursue a master’s degree in science and, later become a scientist.

The second-year student understands others through lip-reading and speaks Thai fluently, although ther are some words she can’t clearly pronounce.

Her only limitation in class is the need to be positioned where she can see the lecturer’s lips move. And occasionally, when the lecturer speaks very quickly, she is unable to decipher the meaning.

That is wher her personal adviser comes in, to fill in some of the gaps neither she nor her parents can plug.

“I have to write a memo or letter to every lecturer who she takes class with to explain about her situation, and they are very understanding. Some lecturers allow her to meet them after class for further explanation while others ask her to write any questions about the lesson that she doesn”t understand for her better clarification,” said Pranee Anprung, 53 Jakrada’s adviser and lecturer in the university’s Food Technology Department.

To relax, Jakrada loves to read, watch television and hang out with friends. She says she can read any times since she lives in a silent world, which makes it easier for her to focus.

The same can’t be said of TV. She often needs her mother to join her and repeat the words from the programme.

“I enjoy chatting ang getting involved in activities with my classmates. They’re very nice and treat me like anyone else.

“Sometimes they complain that they have to speak slowly for me and they don’t understand me because of my pronunciation problems, “ she said with a cheerful smile.

Her best friend understands her though, perhaps because she too is deaf.

Thanks to short messaging services, not being able to talk, or rather listen, on the phone isn’t a problem. And sometimes feelings transcend language.

“I believe they get along better. Some feelings may be too complicated for hearing people to understand,” said her mother.