The 6th Hino Sign Language Festival Deaflympics! Let’s all get excited!

The 6th Hino Sign Language Festival was held on September 28th.

This year’s event was truly filled with laughter♪

The stories shared by our two guests provided a valuable opportunity to learn about the potential of individuals with hearing impairments.

Yasuto Okumura sought a school where he could study theater while communicating in sign language, leading him to study abroad in France.

Naturally, since the language of communication is French Sign Language, he is learning it from scratch, just as we learn spoken languages, during his studies abroad.

Nasu Eri attended the University of Tsukuba School for the Deaf and Nihon University before studying abroad in Denmark, where she mastered sign languages from seven countries.

She is currently active as a sign language entertainer in various fields.

I was deeply moved by the way you two blazed your own trails.

It was a moment of gratitude for the opportunity to reflect on myself.

Well, it’s been three years since I started attending sign language classes after being elected to the city council. 🤟✨✨

In preparation for this year’s Deaflympics, I started by identifying locations for blue light illumination and added subtitles to council internet broadcasts from an information accessibility perspective.

And I’m still in ongoing discussions with the city to establish a sign language ordinance, something everyone truly desires.

Regarding the sign language ordinance, some say it’s no longer needed since the Sign Language Promotion Act was enacted. But even with my limited knowledge, reading the law clearly shows they are entirely different things.

Some say we don’t need a policy ordinance. But I don’t want an ordinance that’s just about principles.

I want to create an ordinance that addresses not only CODAs (Children of Deaf Adults) but also SODAs (Siblings of Deaf Adults).

And I believe that if all children are exposed to sign language from early childhood and can use it as a language in their daily lives, eventually even deaf schools will become unnecessary, and true inclusive education will be realized.

Since Mayor Koga was in the same political faction, I have consistently held this conviction. As the then-speaker, he actively supported and realized the installation of subtitles in the assembly.

Moving forward, I will continue to engage in dialogue with the mayor and staff, striving to formulate an ordinance that embodies the aspirations of those directly affected.